


Picking Up The Pieces

by Etheriell



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU, Apocalypse, F/F, Some crazy stuff be happening here I think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 05:19:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 138,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5899855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etheriell/pseuds/Etheriell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Fall, Ruby has disappeared. Yang has broken, finding solace at the bottom of a bottle. Weiss has lost herself in a haze of violence. And Blake just wants to bring her family back. What will it take to pick up the pieces left behind of such loss?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I said in my last story I didn't have any ideas but...uh...this came to me like a day later. So, my next tale, another multi chapter one! This time its maybe half an AU? Well, you'll see. Each of the first four chapters will focus on a different woman from RWBY, and will reveal where they are in this timeline. So, let me present the first chapter of Picking Up The Pieces.

Ruby cursed under her breath. _'Sandworm, shit!'_ she thought, keeping her scope locked on the massive desert dwelling Grimm. It had its head reared up, scanning the horizon, nose twitching in the air almost as though it could scent her. But she knew it couldn't, she was over a kilometer away, and its sense of smell went at best five hundred meters. No, Sandworms relied on their ability to sense the lightest of footsteps upon the desert sand they called home. Unfortunately for Ruby, this Sandworm had made its nest just next to the only source of fresh water she had found in days. And with its circular, lamprey-like mouth, getting close to it would probably only result in a very uncomfortable moment of being eaten alive. Not something she was into.

The oasis seemed to be taunting her, even as sweat dripped down her face. She lay flat on top of a sand dune, the dusty, dark brown cloak she carried instead of her old one now laid on top of her. She could snipe the Grimm from here…no way she'd miss. But her ammunition was getting dangerously low. She didn't know when she'd find another outpost or trading caravan that hadn't been destroyed…and it's not like she could go back to Vale.

Ruby snarled at herself, shaking her head quickly to clear the memories. She didn't have time to dwell on the past. She needed water, the Sandworm was in the way, and getting close to it in the desert was suicide. She sighed, chambering one of her last three rounds. She fell into herself, letting her breathing slow down, eyes sharp as she narrowed in on her target. Sandworms had one crucial weakness…the second bone plate just below the throat was ever so slightly out of alignment with the one below it. A well placed shot could penetrate right through the armor, instantly ripping the throat clean open. That, combined with the Dust she'd woven into the bullet, should completely blow its head off. She was very grateful she'd learned so much from We-

 _'SHUT IT!'_ she snapped at herself mentally. She didn't want to think about her, didn't want to think about any of her ex 'team'. Not anymore. She was on her own, that's how it was going to stay. Wasn't like she knew where they were, anyway. Sighing, she tried to bring her concentration back on the Grimm. It had relaxed, turning its head away from her, contemplating the oasis next to it. She waited, patient as a hunting cat, needing her perfect sh- _there!_

The retort of Crescent Rose cracked across the desert, startling the Sandworm. But before it could move, the Dust infused round had shot into its throat, choking off any roar or scream it had planned to make. It had only a brief moment to be shocked, before its head erupted into a towering burst of flame, scattering shards of its armor to the winds. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, glad that was over. She lay low for another few minutes, waiting for the telltale signs of any other movement, but when none came, she quickly holstered Crescent Rose and began her slow trudge to the oasis.

* * *

Ruby rolled her eyes in pleasure, happy to just lay back for a brief moment and relax. With the Sandworm having made its home here, no other Grimm would be around for kilometers. Wouldn't last forever, once they realized it was dead, but for now, she had a paradise. She'd managed to find a few root vegetables that were edible, but it was the _water_ she was happy about. She'd already filtered out what impurities she could (she was lucky she had managed to keep her survival kit from Beacon in working condition) and refilled all her bottles. For now, she relaxed in the cool waters.

Glancing down at herself, she winced as she saw the scars littering her abdomen. Though she bore numerous scars on her tanned, weathered skin that she'd gained simply trying to survive after the Fall, the ones inflicted by Cinder long ago were the worst. Cinder's blades were sharp, but jagged, and had nearly ripped her open in two lines straight down the center of her chest. She bit her lip, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to ignore the memory of that night. The only reason she was still alive after that was thanks to her friends… _argh!_

" _Dammit brain shut up!"_ she snarled out into the air. She didn't have friends anymore. They weren't the people she had thought they were…she wasn't worthy of them anyway. She failed at her job. She shook her head, water droplets flying from her ragged, shoulder length hair as she tried to forget as much as possible. None of that mattered. She had hunting to do still. After the Fall of Vale and Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral had needed all the help they could muster. Ruby had heard a rumor they had already begun rebuilding Atlas, but hell if she cared. She was done with Atlas. She couldn't go back.

Ruby sunk deeper into the water, barely keeping her head above the surface. She stared up into the slowly darkening sky, watching the tiny twinkling lights beginning to appear in the sky. She knew it'd get cold soon…the Vacuo desert was well known for dropping into the negatives when night fell. She should get out of the water, but not yet. She wanted to relax, to indulge, just for a little bit of time. Idly, she reached out towards her pack to grab her red cloak, but her hand had barely moved when she froze. _'Stupid! Your cloak is gone. You don't deserve to wear it. Mom would be ashamed of you,_ ' she berated herself.

Instead, she picked up one of her smaller knives. She carried multiple ones on her…sometimes Crescent Rose wasn't perfect for the task, such as cutting the meat off an animal, or carving something, which she felt like doing. She'd already grabbed a couple fallen branches, and set about carving her symbol into one. Something about the idea relaxed her…she'd carve symbols, leave them behind, leaving just the tiniest trace she was ever there. Eventually, it'd rot away, decomposing into nothingness…but until then, she could prove she _existed_.

It took her little time to finish the rose emblem. All the practice she had, it wasn't like it was tough. But as she sat in the clear water, the light fading behind her, she took a deep breath. There was lots of room on the branch she'd grabbed…

Night had fallen by the time she'd finished, a tiny Dust powered lantern giving her just enough light to finish it up. She stared at the carved wood in her hand, her hand shaking slightly. Weiss' snowflake, Blake's flower, and Yang's burning heart carved just below her rose. She hadn't seen those symbols in five years, but they were burned into her brain. Every time she went to sleep, they were there, hovering right around the edges of her subconscious. Five years together…eight years apart.

With a snarl, she slammed the branch down into the bank near the water. It went deep into the loamy earth, the four symbols just barely visible above the bank. She sighed, clambering her naked form out of the water. She took a moment to look down at her reflection, still having trouble reconciling the woman she was now with who she was so many years ago.

Tightly corded muscles roamed across her form, covered in deeply tanned skin. Scars littered her body, reminders of both her years as a Huntress, and her years out here, alone. Some massive and sweeping, others just tiny marks, telling a tale of broken bones and blood, of desperate fights for survival, and of failed attempts to save others. Her hair was jagged and down past her shoulders now…she hadn't had time or the inclination to cut it. Though she had nearly ripped her bangs out when they had gotten in her eyes last time. The long, bitterly red scar that crossed her face diagonally from the bridge of her nose, down her cheek, through the left side of her lip, and down her chin, a remnant from a fight against the Drake itself. Her eyes, once shimmering mercury pools of hope, were now hard, glinting steel reflecting back up at her from the water.

Ruby had always wanted to be a hero, but that dream had died the hard way back in Atlas. She was done trying to be some storybook hero. She just wanted to rest, but the damned nightmares wouldn't let her! She had to keep moving anyways. Something kept her moving, something inside her told her that she couldn't stay in one place, not for long.

Shivering slightly as the air swept past her nude form, she quickly reached for her clothes to begin wrapping herself up. It was past time to get a bit of rest, before she set out again. After struggling into her slightly less dusty outfit (as she had cleaned her clothes before taking her bath), she reached into her tattered pack and grabbed up a ball the side of her fist. Tapping a series of buttons on the edges of it and channeling her Aura, she watched as it began to glow. Blue light emanated from it as it began to hum, before it suddenly leapt up and hovered over her hand. With a tiny motion upward, the dimly glowing ball floated up into the air.

Ruby smiled, happy that she'd brought this little device along. It always made her smile to activate her Alarm Bot she'd built back in her fourth year at Beacon. It scanned the surrounding area for anything bigger than a small animal, and would alert her by electrical signal emanating from the bracelet she wore on her right wrist. Her smile faded as she thought of her dorm room for a moment when she had first revealed the device. Yang's grin, Blake's subdued smile, and Weiss' genuinely pleased smile as she demonstrated how it worked. The three of them had been so proud of her, as they always seemed when she made something new…

 _'Argh!'_ Ruby slammed her hand into her forehead. Grumbling to herself, she quickly laid out her cloak on the ground. Flopping her pack down at the top of it, she wrapped her cloak tightly around her as she lay down, using her pack as a pillow. Willing herself to sleep, secure in her Alarm Bot, she dropped into sleep almost instantly.

* * *

_"Yang let go! We have to help them!" Ruby's shout was barely heard over the roar of the flames. She wiped at her eyes with her free hand, hoping to get the ash out of her eyes._

_"Ruby, we can't do anything for them right now! We have to evacuate while we can!" Yang pleaded with Ruby, her grip tight on Ruby's left arm._

_"Yang's right, Ruby. Atlas is going to fall, we have to retreat," Weiss' voice was calming, but an undertone of fear rang through it as she glanced around. The four of them were safe on top of the building they were on for now, but the flames were nearing them._

_"NO! Dust be damned, I'm not leaving these people! We stopped Cinder, her stupid plan can't succeed years after she's dead! That's not how this works!" Ruby shouted, wrenching her arm out of Yang's grip and glaring at the other three._

_"But it did, Ruby! We can't help them right now. Ruby, please…let's go. We can't do anything for anyone in the city right now. But if we survive, we can-"Blake's plea was cut off by Ruby, who slashed her arm at the air in a silencing motion._

_"If we survive? Is that all that matters to you guys?! We took an oath as Huntresses! We stopped Cinder, we graduated Beacon! We are supposed to protect and save-"_

_"YOU CAN'T PROTECT ANYTHING IF YOU'RE DEAD!" Yang's scream stopped Ruby in her tracks, her eyes going wide as tears fell from Yang's eyes. "Dad's gone, Qrow's gone, your mom's been gone, and who the hell knows where Raven is? I can't lose you too Ruby, I just can't! I CAN'T!" Yang rushed forward, grabbing Ruby up in her arms, Ruby stiffening up as Yang sobbed into her shoulder. "Vale fell, Ruby. Atlas is falling. We can't save everyone, but we can rebuild. But we can only rebuild if we're alive to rebuild it! Please, Ruby, don't do this!"_

_Ruby broke free from Yang's arms, shoving her away from her. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at Yang. "I'd rather die than be a coward," came the whisper from Ruby. Without hesitation, she blurred into a flurry of rose petals, rushing off the building and into the burning remains of Atlas._

_She could still hear Yang and Weiss screaming her name as she sped off, but she shut it down as much as she could. Tears spilling from her eyes, she sniffled, trying to block out the sounds of her team. Suddenly, a thin, wailing cry caught her attention, and she rushed towards it. A massive apartment building of some sort was aflame, pieces of it breaking off and falling to the street below. She heard the cry again, from somewhere up above…eighth floor!_

_Ruby wrapped her cloak around her face as best she could, before trigging her semblance again. Using the combined recoil of Crescent Rose and her speed, she ran up the wall as quickly as possible. As she reached the eighth floor, she slammed Crescent Rose into the brick side of the building, using it to arrest her movement and somewhere to grasp onto. Swinging on it, she flung herself forward, letting her feet smash into the window she had stopped by. Smoke rushed out, billowing in her face, making her eyes water._

_Right before her, she saw a young couple, a small bundle in their arms cringing on the ground. As the window broke, they looked up with wide eyes, seeing Ruby land in the room. A cry of relief came from the woman as she rushed over to Ruby, holding out the bundle in her arms. "Please! Take our daughter, quickly!" she exclaimed._

_"Wait, but what about you two? I gotta get all of you out! C'mon, let's see about-"_

_The man interrupted her. "We tried, the stairs are all blocked out. Look, take our daughter first, you can't carry us all down the wall. We'll wait here for you, you can come for us after she's safe, ok?"_

_Ruby stared at the couple, another wailing cry coming from the bundle making up Ruby's mind instantly. She reached out and snatched up the blanket, holding the child tightly in her arms. She turned to the window, but looked over her shoulder quickly. "I'll be right back, ok? Stay safe, I swear I'll be right back!"_

_The woman waved her on as the man tightened his grip on her shoulder, coughing into his hand. "Go! Please, go!"_

_Ruby flew out the window, using her scythe to catch onto a street lamp near the ground to slow down her fall. She knew of the nearest emergency center, it was barely two blocks away, she could make it there and back in no time. Her form was a blur, petals flinging behind her as she rushed towards it, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw it was still open. Atlesian troops directing people towards evacuation airships, medical professionals scurrying about. With no time, Ruby just blurred up to a nurse and dropped the bundle in his shocked arms, before dashing back towards the building. She'd been counting, twenty seconds…twenty one…_

_She was back! Flames had erupted out of the windows on the seventh floor, making her wince as she realized she couldn't go back up by running up that wall. But…aha! Across the street, another building of similar make, and this one not on fire! Decision made, Ruby blurred up the side of that one. Twenty two…_

_She latched Crescent Rose into the side of this one as well, tensing her legs in preparation of leaping across the chasm separating the two buildings. Twenty three…She glanced up, squinting through the flames, catching a glimpse of the couple crouched down on the floor. They looked up at her yell, seeing her through the smoke. She pooled her energy, about to jump. Twenty four…_

_A powerful rumbling came from the building as it shook. Ruby's eyes widened, locked on the terrified eyes of the couple, as the floor beneath them simply…gave out. They didn't even have time to scream before they were swallowed up by the flames, the entire building giving out a roar as it collapsed onto the street below._

_Ruby had no time to think, no time to speak, no time to do anything but stare numbly at the remnants of the building. Most of the flames had been snuffed out by the collapse, but smoldering licks of fire flicked up from the remains. Ruby released Crescent Rose, falling heavily onto the pavement below. Intellectually, she knew that had hurt her. She thought she might have broken her foot at the very least. But she couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything. All she could do was stare at the shattered building, at the remains of not only stone and wood, but of people and life._

_Ruby fell to her knees, gasping for air in a city filled with smoke and death. Everything in her was twisted, confused, broken. She was a hero, right? Heroes save the day, they don't miss, and they aren't too slow. A hero, like…like her mom._

_Ruby looked down at the red cloak spilling over her shoulders, swept forward and partially blocking the view of her body. The cloak her mom had given her, before she had died. The only thing she still had of her, besides her eyes. Her cloak…_

_Ruby ripped the cloak from her shoulders, throwing it down on the ground as tears spilled from her eyes. She sobbed into it, hands clenching on her thighs, her nails digging into the flesh beneath her leggings. She stumbled to her feet, still ignoring the shooting pains coming from her right foot. She began shuffling away, away from the city, away from the people, away from the cloak. She had failed her mother, had failed her cause. She had no right to wear that cloak, and no right to call herself a huntress, not anymore. Ruby vanished into the night._

* * *

Ruby woke with a gasp, before slamming her head back against her pack. Dust, she was so _sick_ of these stupid nightmares! It had been eight years, couldn't they leave her in fucking _peace?!_ Taking a deep breath, she rolled on her side, curling herself tighter into a smaller ball. It was still too early to get moving, too cold. Just a few more hours of sleep, and she'd be off, going who knows where.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, back with chapter 2 already, eh? Had some free time while sick...wrote it up. The response to this one has been great, so many people saying such kind things. I hope you guys continue to enjoy, because the angst train is still boarding and hasn't even left the station yet!

Roze hummed to himself as he polished another glass. The bar was always slow around this time, midafternoon on a weekday most people were still out working in the small town he'd set up shop in. He expected it would get pretty busy later that evening though…everyone tended to join up together at his bar. The biggest building in town, and the only actual place you could get nicely cooked food outside your own kitchen, the bar he and his sister ran was pretty much the town meeting point.

Since the Fall, most residents of Atlas had either run for Mistral and Vacuo, or had tried to retake portions of the city. So far, a lot of the city had been retaken by the Reclamation Project, run by the old headmaster of Beacon Ozpin, but not all of it. This town, which no one had bothered naming, was just a blip on the map on the outer edges of Atlas' southern border. Grimm were plentiful, and the town would have no chance if it weren't for…

Roze rolled his eyes to himself when the door to his bar slammed open, revealing a tall woman, wrapped tightly in a red cloak. He winced as he heard the telltale sound of his doorframe cracking again. She stumbled up to the bar, her footsteps slow and uneven, the sound of deep panting breaths coming from her direction. Without skipping a beat, Roze pulled out a bottle of his strongest whiskey and poured three shots for her.

She plopped down on the bar stool with the hood raised up, hiding her face, lifting her hand as though to order, but pausing when she noticed the shots on the bar. Her hand trembled for a moment, he noticed, before it slowly took up one of the shots. As she knocked it back, the hood fell off her face, revealing tangled blonde hair, flowing down her back. It looked like she had just come back from another fight, as a barely scabbed over cut with fresh blood seeping from it was on her cheek. Her eyes were blurry, and you could have smelled the alcohol on her from a kilometer away.

He sighed internally, before pulling out another set of shot glasses. He knew she'd keep asking for them till the bottle was gone, and though he hated to do it, he could understand why she'd fallen into the bottle. Everyone in this town had lost someone, or many someone's, and some people simply couldn't cope. The town tolerated her drunken behavior and tendency towards destruction, because at the end of the day she was the sole reason the town could keep functioning. She annihilated Grimm with an immense fury, incinerating their corpses as soon as she had slain them. She seldom spoke, and never more than three words at a time. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes, always averting hers, but for some reason she was never cruel or violent around the few children in town.

With adults, she'd be brusque at best, snarly at worst. But around the children, she was gentle and kind, although she still never smiled. But she'd always help them reach things they couldn't reach, she'd always go fetch their ball or Frisbee when they flew outside the safe zone around the town. Once, she'd tracked a Beowulf for three days just to retrieve one little boy's stuffed bunny. It had been quite the sight when she'd returned, covered in Dust knew what, but holding a pristine little stuffed bunny.

Roze was pretty sure that was the day the town had decided that for whatever reason she had for being here, they'd always appreciate her. They tried to show it as best they could…the townsfolk always dropped food off near the door of the tiny hut she called her own, Roze and his sister never charged her for anything she drank or any food she ate (not that she ever seemed to eat), and when winter fell, those responsible for collecting firewood kept a supply up next to her little hut.

It had helped with her attitude somewhat…no longer was she a danger of punching someone through a wall. But she still couldn't seem to stop drinking. Every night, she'd come to the bar, she'd drink and drink and drink until she could barely stand, then she'd stumble off towards her hut. They tried to keep an eye on her, make sure she didn't hurt herself, but that was the best they could do. Anyone who tried to talk to her about it would get shut down. But today…today Roze wanted to do something. She'd been there with them for the past three years, and who knew what she had been through the five before then since the Fall.

"Hey," he called to her as he placed another shot before her. She paused, her eyes staring at the countertop, hand frozen on the shot glass before her. He took it as a good sign she didn't just up and leave. Leaning on the counter, casually wiping at a spot, he spoke in as soothing a tone as he could. "You know, we're jus' about ta start cookin' up something nice. Ya want somethin' to eat?" She slowly shook her head no, hand tightening on the shot glass. He noticed, but took a deep breath, willing to push his luck.

"Lissen, I dunno what brought ya 'ere to our town. I dunno what got ya drinking like that. And I ain't gonna pry, that's yer business. But ever since ya came 'ere, ya been protectin' us every day. Ya been helping us, and none of us regret havin' ya around. But we're worried about ya. Ya barely eat, ya barely sleep far as anyone can tell, and all ya do is drink every day. Please, ya help us enough…let us help you, just a little bit. Let me make ya somethin ta eat, please?"

She sat, frozen at the table for a moment, as Roze looked down on her. He held his breath, waiting for her response, before his heart leapt as she gave him a tiny nod. Smiling broadly, he nodded sharply. "Good! Lemme just go tell mah sister!" As he turned about to go to the kitchen, he heard the sound of her stool sliding backwards. He spun about just in time to see her practically run out the door, cape fluttering behind her as she disappeared. He stared, jaw dropped, before slamming his hand onto the bar counter.

"Dammit, what'd I say?" he snarled to himself.

"It's not your fault," a voice piped up from the end of the bar, a traveler who had come in earlier that day. She was hooded in a plain brown cloak, but a small strand of brilliant red hair had fallen out from beneath the hood. Reaching up slowly, her bronzed hands lowered the hood, revealing a beautiful young woman with long, tied back red hair. What he could see beneath the cloak was a set of red and golden armor as she smiled sadly at him.

Roze cocked his head at her. "Who be ya?"

"My name is Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos. I'm part of the Reclamation Project," she replied, holding her hand out to reveal a silver amulet. It was a perfect circle, with a large RP carved into the center of it. He'd never seen the amulets, but had heard about them from other travelers before.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "And what would a member of the Reclamation Project be doin' 'round these 'ere parts?"

She jerked her head in the direction of the door. "I'm here for her."

He narrowed his eyes at her, planting both hands on the countertop before the woman. "Now lissen 'ere miss, I ain't wanting to start any problems, but that young lady doesn't need anythin' else bad happenin' to her. She done a lotta good for this 'ere town. So if ya came 'ere to hurt her in any way, we're gonna have some problems."

Pyrrha shook her hands in negation frantically, a look of horror on her face. "Of course I don't want to hurt her! I'm not here to do anything to harm her, I swear!"

"Ok, then what do ya want with her?" he asked, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Pyrrha sighed. "What do you know about her?"

Roze shrugged. "Nothin' much. She doesn't do much talkin'."

Pyrrha nodded absently, as though she had expected that answer. "Well…her name is Yang Xiao Long. She was a huntress, in the same class as me. We were really good friends, years ago. We used to spar together _all_ the time!" She smiled softly, her eyes distant as nostalgia crept into her voice for a brief moment. "But after the Fall, things got much harder. Her dad and uncle died early on, and all she had left was her little sister, Ruby. She was another huntress, same year as us, got in two years early."

Roze interrupted her, hand on his chin. "Ruby…Yang…'ey, I've heard those names before! Team…RWBY, right? They tried to stop the Fall in Atlas too. And Ruby is the one who took down that Cinder lady, right?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Yeah. Well…when Atlas fell, Ruby ran off to try to help more people against her team's wishes. They went after her, but Ruby's semblance is speed. It took them a half hour to find any trace of her, and when they did…all they found was her cloak, and a lot of blood. No one has seen Ruby since. That red cloak she wears is Ruby's. That's why she just ran off…you mentioned your sister, and I guess it made Yang think of Ruby. I guess…Yang couldn't take it well. We tried to help her, but she just left. It wasn't until a few weeks ago we found her, and so Ozpin sent me here to keep an eye on her. We're just worried about her is all. I swear to you, I'm not here to hurt her. I just want to help her."

Roze stared Pyrrha down for a moment, before heaving a huge sigh. "Well, not like I could stop ya anyways, if ya be one of them huntresses. Explains a lot about her though."

Pyrrha nods absently. "Don't worry sir. I won't hurt her."

"Fine, fine. Do ya want somethin' ta drink then?"

Pyrrha smiled softly. "Certainly."

* * *

Yang stumbled along the edge of the town, headed to her 'home', if you could call it that. It was easy to find it…the town had sprung up on the edge of a massive pile of rubble, and had pushed itself back into it so the rubble formed a half-circle barrier on the side. Her hut was near where it opened out into the wilderness along the edge of the southern rubble wall, so all she had to do was follow that wall and she'd find it. But Dust if she really cared. What did it matter? What did any of it matter?

She was glad she could do something useful with her stupid life at least. The people in this town were good people really. At the very least she could help them, maybe make up for the fact she was a useless drunk. And that she couldn't keep her promise to her mom…

She slammed her hand into the rubble wall, growling. She barely felt the impact, but she could hear the disturbed rumbling as pieces of the rubble disintegrated in the wake of her punch. It was strange, really, how she didn't feel much anymore. But hell if she cared. A shudder swept over her as a cold wind blew through the area. She never used to get cold, but the fire inside her was dampened after what she'd seen in Atlas. She could only bring it out when fighting the Grimm now.

She pulled the cloak closer to her body as she shivered, but that was a mistake. Between the cold, the reminder of sisters, the cloak, she could feel it. She clenched her eyes tight, willing her mind to stop it, but she couldn't. Even in her drunken haze, the memories came back, bright and clear.

* * *

_"Dammit Ruby!" Yang cursed, before rushing off after her. Weiss a single step behind her, and Blake right behind them. But Ruby's speed meant she could cover half the distance of the city before they had even made it down to the ground below. Blake quickly grabbed Yang and Weiss by the shoulder._

_"Look, I'll go that way. I can move faster and track better than both of you. You two look that way. Use our scrolls if we find her, ok?" Blake didn't wait for a reply, dashing off in a blur of darkness._

_Yang and Weiss shared a glance, worry present in both of their eyes, but decided to go along with it. Of all four of them, Blake was by far the most independent and probably the best on her own. They quickly ran, Weiss barely fasted than Yang as they began searching._

_It had been nearly twenty minutes when Weiss gave a startled shout, before her hands clamped over her mouth in shock. Yang spun about, running through the alleyway to where Weiss stood on the street, skidding to a stop next to her. Weiss' gaze was fixated on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared. Yang took one glance down, before she felt all the fire inside her disappear in one brief instant._

_A pool of blood lay on the ground, splatters scattered about in all directions, below a tattered and ripped red cloak. A collapsed skyscraper next to it, and massive gouges all over the area reminiscent of Ruby's scythe littered the place they stood. Yang couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't even contemplate what lay before her. She fell to her knees, desperately reaching out and laying one trembling hand on the cloak. Weiss' muffled repeated 'no' faded into the background, as all Yang could see was the cloak and the blood._

_Everything inside Yang died in that second. Her anger, her love, her happiness, her pride, her despair, it all vanished in one brief instant, one moment where she realized Ruby was gone. Ruby, her baby sister, her only family left. Ruby, the one she had tried so hard to protect for so long, the little girl who had grown up into a magnificent huntress, who she had been so proud of…gone. All she could feel was a cold bleakness inside, as though she was but a shell and her soul has just disappeared into the nothing._

_She wasn't just internally cold now. She could feel a change in the exterior temperature, and she raised her head to gaze into Weiss' now furious gaze. Weiss glared down at Yang, frozen tears dripping from her eyes as she clenched her fists. With clenched teeth, Weiss started shouting at Yang. "This is all your fault! You should have stopped her, you're strong enough! You pushed her when she couldn't take it! How could you Yang? HOW COULD YOU?!"_

_Weiss' words resonated within Yang, triggering her own anger. Rage at herself as she decided Weiss was right, but even more at Weiss for_ daring _to act as though she knew how to treat Ruby better. Yang's fire burst into being once more, the flames rushing through her veins like poison as she felt the anger consume her. Her hair took on a blinding glow as her eyes burned red, and she leapt to her feet, spinning around as fast as she could, bringing her fist to bear on the frozen Weiss._

_Weiss had no time to react, only putting a terrified face on as Yang's fist impacted her unshielded cheek. She hadn't had her Aura up, hadn't expected this, and Yang felt a horribly wrong but pleasurable feeling at hitting Weiss. Weiss, the woman she used to go shopping with every weekend as Blake and Ruby spent hours reading in their dorm room. Weiss, the one woman she'd trusted with Ruby's safety besides herself. Weiss, her teammate…the girl she had just punched in the face. She could feel the sickening crunch of bone, the gentle thud of soft flesh impacting her knuckles. She felt more than saw Weiss' body go flying, sending her careening backwards into the building behind her, smashing the petite woman through the front windows and into the storefront._

_Yang froze, choking as she realized what she had just done. Weiss lay, unmoving, blood trickling down from her mouth as Yang stood at the window, staring down at her in horror. Weiss' eyes slowly trickled open, but the look on Weiss' face as she saw Yang standing above her made Yang take a step back. Weiss was_ terrified _of her. Weiss scrambled backwards, mouth agape, cutting her hands on the glass as she tried to slide away. Yang took a step towards her, arms out wide in silent apology, but Weiss just rolled over and scrambled to her feet, desperately moving away from Yang. She took one glance back at the cloak lying on the ground, a single tear trickling down her cheek before she burst into motion, running as fast as she could away from Yang._

_Yang flopped backwards onto the ground, staring in horror at her own right hand. Her knuckles were cut, and blood trickled from them, but some of it was Weiss' blood. Some of it was her friend's blood. Clenching her fist, she bowed her head over the cloak again, pulling the fabric up to her face and weeping into it._

_She felt more than saw Blake, hearing the nearly silent steps of the black-haired woman as she approached. She glanced up at Blake, and seeing the expression on her face, one of half fear but half worry, she realized Blake had seen everything. In that moment, she knew Blake had seen her hit Weiss, seen Weiss disappear, and had seen Yang's collapse. Meeting amber eyes, Yang gulped, before grabbing Ruby's cloak up closer. Blake took another cautious step forward, but stopped when Yang spoke._

_"Get away from me," came Yang's dull command, her voice nearly a whisper that Blake wasn't sure she would have heard if she weren't a Faunus._

_Blake held out her hand, keeping her voice soothing as she tried to calm Yang. "Yang-"_

_"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Yang screamed, flames erupting around her and scorching the earth. Blake took a hurried step back as Yang leapt to her feet, clutching Ruby's cloak to her chest. Yang's eyes met Blake's one last time, before she took off, running in the opposite direction of Weiss. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. She ran, desperate to escape, desperate to find somewhere else…_

* * *

Yang sobbed into the cloak as she stumbled further away from the bar. She needed to find her hut. She had a few bottles there for emergencies, and this was the perfect time. Enough alcohol and she could actually get a few hours of sleep, just a few. Just a few minutes of rest, away from these memories, away from the reminder that she had failed everyone, that she was just another monster, in a world full of monsters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello there! New chapter in this oh so angsty story coming at you! Now, this chapter is very disjointed, and its intentional. I'm trying to express how scattered Weiss' thought process has become. So expect some repetition, and some rather odd behavior from the heiress, as it comes from being psychologically damaged.

He winced, turning away as another shriek sounded out. Brushing the strand of pink hair back under his helmet, he sighed heavily as he shifted in his hiding spot, high up in a massive oak tree. Bringing his binoculars back up to his eyes, he instantly brought them down again, trying to swallow down bile. He gave up on watching her…she clearly was safe, even if those around her probably weren't. He tapped on the earpiece in his right ear, activating it.

"Lotus calling Shield, Lotus calling Shield. Come in Shield."

A man's voice echoed in his ear, relief evident in his tone. "Shield here! It's been a few days since your last communication Ren, is everything ok?"

Ren chuckled lightly. "I'm fine Jaune. How is everyone over there?"

"You mean has Nora destroyed everything yet?" Ren rolled his eyes at the teasing tone in Jaune's voice.

"Yes, that's what I mean. Has she?"

Jaune laughed. "Nah, it's ok. Ozpin has her doing some demolition, it keeps her occupied."

"I imagine so."

"So…" Ren instantly came to attention, knowing that tone in Jaune's voice. "Pyrrha found her."

Ren froze, before speaking cautiously. "And?"

"She's…not good. Alcoholism it looks like. But she's settled in a border town, and keeps them safe from the Grimm. So at least she's doing something productive still. Pyrrha said the townsfolk are pretty protective of her too, so she's done something right apparently. So not sure if now's the right time to extract her. Not unless Blake…" Jaune sighed.

"…Yeah. Do you think Blake's right?"

"I dunno Ren. I really don't. It's been so long, but those reports…I dunno. I hope she is."

Ren sighed again. "Well, I guess my turn for good news. I found Weiss."

Jaune's tone echoed Ren's previous cautious one. "And…?"

"I never thought I'd feel sorry for a Grimm," came Ren's deadpan remark, as another shriek rent the air, making him flinch.

Jaune squawked on the other end when the shriek came across the radio, nearly tumbling out of his chair it sounded. "What in Dust's name was _that_?"

"She's...vivisecting them. She's literally slicing them into ribbons, slowly. It's disturbing to watch. And she's taunting them, demanding they come nearer, only to kill them slowly and painfully. I didn't know Grimm felt pain, but I sure know now. Jaune…I'm not sure she's all there anymore." Ren gulped as he gave his report.

"…just keep an eye on her for now. Keep your distance though. Blake's due to report back soon. We just gotta have faith. Blake asked us for this, and we all agreed we won't let her down."

"Yeah. I know. I'm not worried for myself, just…I'm not sure how much of Weiss is left."

"I get it Ren. Be safe, ok?"

"Always. Tell Nora I'll make pancakes soon as I'm back."

Jaune chuckled. "Will do. Shield out."

* * *

She reveled in it. The feel of Myrtenaster biting into the oily, corrupted flesh of another Grimm was like no other. The Grimm were more than the enemy of all, the Grimm were every nightmare made manifest in the world. The Grimm were mindless, soulless, and deserved to be slaughtered like the pathetic creatures they were. Painfully, slowly, that was how it should be.

She leaned down, a smirk on her face as she looked in the eye of the Ursa she had impaled to the ground with Myrtenaster. Once, it would have snarled and swung at her, but without any of its limbs, or any teeth left, it couldn't do much save look up at her hatefully. Oh, how it hated her, but more than that, it actually feared her. Grimm could feel pain too, and she basked in it. Savored it. Grimm were nothing, and so deserved everything she gave them. As did the White Fang…

She snarled as that thought crossed her mind, slamming the pommel of her rapier down further into the Ursa. She didn't want to think of anything but the enjoyment of it dying under her feet.

"Did you enjoy that, huh? Did you?" She ripped her rapier up, cutting deeper into its abdomen, letting the red, oily blood ooze out. "You like fear, right? It's your faaavvooorriitte thing, right? Well plenty of fear to be had, from your own kind now huh? Do you like your own fear? Not getting any from me are you? That's because I am not afraid. I'm stronger than you, I'm better than you, you are _beneath me!_ " Weiss ripped Myrtenaster out, screaming as she clove its head off. She spun about, slicing the snare holding the nearest Beowulf in place, waiting for it to charge her so she could begin anew.

Every Grimm would die, one by one, by her hands. She'd hunt, and kill, and destroy, and bring them all down. It's what Ruby would have wanted, right? She hated the Grimm. Ruby had wanted to be a hero, until it was taken from her. And heroes kill Grimm. Winter hated the Grimm too. So did her father. Everyone hated Grimm. No one would think badly of her for doing this, no one. Right?

* * *

 

Weiss slammed her head back into the tree trunk she was leaning on, eyes clenched shut. A small voice was always whispering in her mind, telling her this was wrong, but she ignored it. This was the right thing to do, she knew it for sure! Ruby would have wanted this, she was sure of this. Ruby wouldn't have wanted her to stick around and cry over her, oh no. No no. She wouldn't cry over Ruby, never again. Ruby wanted a hero, she'd be a hero, she'd end the Grimm menace forever.

She opened her bleary eyes to watch the duel before her. Well, calling it a duel was a misnomer, it was more of a beat down. Her knight, systematically ripping the Deathstalker apart, first its tail, then its claws, then each leg one by one. Snapped them off without a care in the world. Sometimes Weiss wondered what all had changed…she noticed she had trouble keeping her thoughts straight sometimes. She also found herself thinking in very short bursts, very scattered thoughts.

 _'Blah_ ,' she thought to herself. None of that mattered. She stood, her knight instantly pausing in its onslaught. With her mind connected to it, it reacted only as she chose. And right now, she wanted to speak to the Grimm, not that it could understand her. But somehow, it made her feel better to talk. She marched up to the now helpless Deathstalker, staring into its hateful red eyes without a care in the world. It would probably have attempted to take a bite at her, if her knight hadn't ripped its mandibles off and was currently crushing them in its hands as she stood, hands clasped firmly behind her back.

"You know, you should be honored I deigned to have my Knight kill you. It's quite a masterpiece, isn't it? Look at it. _Look at it!_ " she found herself screaming at the Grimm before her. Wait, no. No. She couldn't lose her temper. Storybook heroes didn't yell. Right, that's what she was, a hero.

"It's all because of you. You Grimm. Everything died because of you. Winter is dead because of you. Ruby is dead because of you. Of course, Cinder started the plan, but she never would have without you. Grimm are such a menace, but don't worry. You don't have to suffer as one of these monsters for long. I, the ever merciful Weiss Schnee, will end your suffering and the blight you are on this world. I'm so nice, right? Right? This is how Ruby would do things, so it's clearly best!"

A small part of Weiss' mind, the part that admonished her for her behavior, whispered in her ear that she was not making any sense. She angrily shoved that voice into the back of her head. It didn't matter. She knew what she was doing. She was saving the world! Not like the others, who abandoned her. She'd stop the Grimm by herself, and damn anything which tried to get in her way!

Picking up on her growing anger, her knight stepped forward, bringing its blade down in an arching smash onto the broken scorpion before it. The Deathstalker was cloven in two, the stumps of its limbs twitching for a brief moment before going still. Splashes of its blood burst out, splattering Weiss' dirty, matted dress, which once might have been white but was no longer.

Looking down at the dark red blood splashed across her, Weiss, for one brief second, had a flash. A flash of fires, of sound, of a cloak laying in a pool of blood on the ground… _NO!_ She screamed in her head as she spun about, marching steadily away from the corpse, her knight dissipating into nothingness as she stalked off.

She felt an uncontrollable giggle bubble up from within, felt the laughter burst out from her. She had that feeling again, that sickeningly sweet joy that came from slaughtering another Grimm, from watching its blood flood out in a torrent. It was a heady feeling, as though she had been drinking, a warm, fuzzy feeling that crept into her brain and made her feel powerful. Again, that small voice in the back of her mind admonished her, telling her she shouldn't take such pleasure in the kills, but she brushed it off again. Ruby would appreciate this, she'd always appreciate this! Her partner loved to kill Grimm. Weiss was going to finish what Ruby started. Ruby would be proud if she could see her now, Weiss was sure of it.

* * *

_She was desperate. They had to find Ruby. Ruby was her partner, they had been together for five years now! They'd fought and bled alongside each other, studied and built a tremendous bond together. Sure, she loved Yang and Blake too…she'd go out at least once a week with Blake for coffee and tea, and spend time calmly reminiscing over the week they'd had, or the sister's latest exploits. She'd also go out shopping with Yang, as neither Ruby nor Blake enjoyed clothes shopping the way those two did. They'd model new outfits, with Weiss trying not to giggle too much at the way Yang would intentionally pick ridiculous outfits sometimes just for a laugh._

_But what Weiss had with Ruby was something she'd never had before, a connection far deeper than any she'd made, even with her own sister. She looked up to her sister, adored her, but it wasn't the same. She wasn't actually sure what their bond really was…sometimes she wondered why Ruby's touch would leave little lingering sparks on her skin, or why she'd get lost in Ruby's eyes, but it didn't matter. They'd been together five years, and nothing was going to tear them apart, not even the Fall of Atlas. She'd give up her city a hundred times just to make sure Ruby was ok, so she had to be ok._

_Or so she'd hoped. When she saw the cloak, when she saw the blood, when she saw all the blood drain out of Yang's face as the blonde fell to her knees, everything in Weiss snapped. It wasn't despair she felt, it was_ rage _. All she could see now was red. The red cloak, the red blood, and everything else the same shade of red, of anger. Ruby_ promised! _She promised Weiss she'd always be by her side, and she broke her promise!_

_No…she didn't. The Grimm broke it for her. Cinder broke it. Other people forced it on Ruby, the people she had left to save, they'd broke it. Yang…Yang broke it, right? Weiss was seeking, searching, begging inside for an answer, for someone to blame. Yang…Yang was here. Yang should have stopped Ruby. Yang!_

_She found herself shouting, saying things she'd never actually thought. Saying such vicious, vile things to someone she'd once spent an hour giggling with over a mannequin in a store and the ludicrous bright orange jeans it was in. She was so enraged, she couldn't think straight. Somewhere deep inside she knew she was lashing out at someone who did nothing wrong, but by Dust it felt good. For a split second, it felt amazing, releasing all her anger and hate on someone else._

_That second ended swiftly when a fist met her cheek, her Aura completely down. She hadn't taken a direct hit to her unprotected skin in years, not since she'd first learned to unlock her Aura. She hadn't trusted anyone else enough to leave it down, but the shock of what she'd seen had her losing her concentration. It was an explosion of pain, as she felt the flesh on her cheek nearly become seared from the heat from Yang's enraged fist._

_She barely registered flying through the glass window, the shards cutting her skin into ribbons. She didn't even notice landing on her back, spread-eagled, on the glass covered store floor. All she could think about was the betrayal, the sheer betrayal. First Ruby, by leaving her, then Yang, by hitting her. Betrayal…She opened her eyes, looking up to see burning crimson orbs looking into hers, horror etched across Yang's countenance. Behind her, she could see Blake coming up out of the shadows, and one glance into amber told Weiss she had seen what had happened._

_'And she did nothing,' a voice whispered in Weiss' mind. Blake had betrayed her too. Everyone was a traitor, a liar, someone out to hurt Weiss. No, that's wrong. Ruby wouldn't hurt her. Wait, that's it! Forget Yang. Forget Blake. Forget Winter's death, forget her companies ruin, forget her father being run down like an animal. Forget the sight of people dying, forget Cinder, her body nearly bifurcated, or the sight of Ruby lying next to her, her lifeblood pouring out from her chest. Forget it all!_

_Ruby wanted to be a hero, and Weiss could do that. She'd do what Ruby started, and she'd do it by ending the Grimm threat. Weiss didn't want to admit to herself she was scared now, scared of Yang, scared of Blake, scared of looking down and seeing that cloak on the ground again. No. She wasn't scared. Weiss was brave, Weiss Schnee was going to bring Ruby's wish to life!_

_She got up and began to run, ignoring everything behind her. She'd forget Yang, forget all their shopping days where they came back to the dorm, feet sore, carrying bags upon bags of clothes, to find Ruby and Blake seated on the floor amongst piles of books. She'd forget the way Ruby would look up at her and grin widely, so happy to see her, leaping up to hug her instantly. She'd forget Blake, and their times at their favorite café, just talking and bonding and remembering why they put up with their rambunctious partners. She'd forget the pain in her jaw, in her hands, in her skin, in her heart. She'd forget all the times she spent laying in her bed, talking to Ruby who would half hang off the edge of her own, her head upside down as the two of them just talked in the quiet dorm while Blake and Yang were off somewhere else._

_She'd forget it all, because she was going to be more than that. Weiss Schnee would bring Ruby Rose's last dream to life. She'd become a hero, and she'd destroy the Grimm._ Every…last….one.

* * *

Weiss snapped awake, sitting up with a gasp, nearly clocking her head on the branch just above her as she lay in the small nest she'd made for herself up in the massive tree. She gripped at her chest with one hand, feeling the numbing pain that she felt every time she had the same dream. It felt like her heart was freezing over, the cold so intense it burned, making her hiss in pain.

' _NO!_ ' she shouted in her head, growling at herself. She would _not_ think about this again. She was done with that! She was a hero, and would bring Ruby back to life by honoring her memory. That's what she would want. Right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with Blake's chapter! I hope you all enjoy! Going to avoid any spoilers here, but I'll just note you should pay attention to the little things. Enjoy! :)

Blake grumbled under her breath, pulling her hat tighter over her head. She loved basking in the sunlight, but this was brutal. Still, it was late afternoon, it was slowly going down in temperature, and it would be best if she found some shelter to camp for the night. A small yip at her side had her glancing down.

"What is it, Zwei?" she asked the corgi. He yipped again, shoving his nose towards her right. Looking in the direction he was indicating, she could see what looked like a tree…an oasis maybe? Dangerous to approach, but it could be her best bet. Since she'd left the last town, she'd been traveling for three days, hunting the elusive 'Grimm Reaper' as the townsfolk called her. It was the tenth sighting she'd heard of in the past month, so she was becoming more and more confident. She had rolled her eyes internally at the pun, a fleeting thought that Yang would have loved it flitting through her mind before she shook her head in negation. Not now. Zwei yipped again, bringing her back to reality.

"Sorry Zwei. Let's go. Let me know if you smell anything off," she asked the corgi, getting a small bark in reply. She still wondered what type of dog he really was…he was over twenty years old now, if she had her math right, and yet still so very spry. The only sign of his age was a slight whitening of the fur around his muzzle. He was just as energetic and nigh indestructible as ever. Not to mention his incredible level of intelligence compared to other dogs.

He was her only link to her old team, and when he'd approached her, whining and afraid, unable to find Ruby or Yang, she couldn't resist taking him with her. She couldn't leave him now, not when he meant so much to the others…and if she were honest with herself, he'd even managed to worm his way into her heart. (Only him. She still did _not_ like other dogs.) When she had decided to leave Atlas with the other refugees, unsure what she would do, he had come to her. She didn't know what to tell him…he'd always understood far more than she thought dogs could, and it had scared her, having to try to explain to him what had happened.

But she tried. The second night after they had camped, she'd let him rest against her thigh as she told him what had happened. To be honest, it hadn't truly sunk in for her until she started explaining it. She'd been running on adrenaline and pain the entire time, not letting herself think, but it was when she had to explain to those big, innocent eyes, so much like Ruby's eyes, that it truly had hit her.

It had been the first time she'd cried since the Fall had begun. She thought she'd cried out all of her tears long ago, but apparently they were just waiting for this moment. It was nothing but a flood, a constant stream as she quietly sobbed into her hands. Zwei, unable to bear witness, had crawled up into her lap and nuzzled her over and over, until she couldn't resist grabbing him up in her arms. She'd sobbed into his fur, as he licked her cheek once, before snuggling into her arms. She could hear the tiny whimpers coming from him after she'd spoken of Ruby and Yang, and even of Weiss. In that moment, she knew that if anyone knew her pain, it was Zwei.

So for eight years, Zwei and her were inseparable. She'd begun taking care of him, and he took care of her. He was surprisingly stealthy when he needed to be, so he could even follow her on other missions. More than once, his keen nose and hearing had saved her from an ambush, or helped her hunt down her target more effectively. Ever since she'd begun this new job as Ozpin's personal huntress…

* * *

He'd come to her after a week, before they had fully cleared the Atlesian border. He'd approached her as she sat, her back against a large tree with Zwei sleeping peacefully in her lap, his limp pronounced as he leaned heavily on his cane. He looked old, far older than she'd seen him before. A deep sense of sadness surrounded him, one that she felt she understood completely.

At first, all he did was take a slow, creaking seat next to her. It had taken him a good minute to be able to sit down comfortably, but when he did he laid his cane across his lap and sighed deeply. Blake hadn't even looked over at him, keeping her eyes downcast as she absently pet Zwei's soft fur. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before he spoke up.

"I'm sorry," was all he said, his voice strained.

"So am I," came Blake's soft reply. He'd won her respect during the Fall…he'd been on the front lines since the first days of Vale's fall. He'd fought, over and over, using his immense power to try to hold back the tide finally, but in the end it had been for naught. He hadn't been able to stop any of it, but at least he tried, and that was enough for Blake.

"Miss Belladonna…I've come to ask you for your help." Blake looked up at him finally, eyes narrowed. Her hand stilled on Zwei's back as amber eyes locked with his, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

"My _help?_ Help with what? We lost, Headmaster… _WE LOST!_ " she shouted, her anger stirring an energy in her she hadn't had in a week. Several other nearby refugees started, looking over at the fuming Faunus and the still calm older man next to her.

"We did. And that is my fault. I failed to do my sworn duty. But this does not mean I will give up. I will do what I must to rebuild, to retake the land stolen from us once again. That is what I'm asking for your help for. I have made the same request of JNPR. Team SSSN is returning to their home in Vacuo to try to help the refugees there. Team CFVY is going to Mistral to add to the kingdom's beleaguered defense force, now as it strains to hold more people. ABRN, FNKI, countless others will be leaving to those two kingdoms. But I need agents here. I need people here, who can help retake everything we lost. And you, Blake, are one of the people I need."

"Why me?" she asked, her voice a whisper as all her anger drained from her as quickly as it came. "What could you possibly need from me?"

Ozpin paused for a moment, as though pondering how to explain. "JNPR gives me one of the most talented warriors of her generation. They give me one of the most physically powerful people on Remnant. JNPR provides me an excellent strategist, and a master of both martial arts and Dust use. But what they cannot provide me is a hunter. A master of stealth and tracking, someone who can get in and out of anywhere quietly. Lie Ren is talented, but I have not seen anyone as skilled at subterfuge as you, not since Qrow."

"Logical, practical, and rather cold-blooded," Blake remarked.

"I assumed you'd prefer blunt honesty," came his reply. Blake tilted her head in acknowledgment. "But that is only part of it." Blake arched an eyebrow at him, turning to face him fully. He took a deep breath. "Blake, you were my student, one of the very best to come from my academy. As was Ruby, Yang, and Weiss. None of you deserved what happened. I don't know why they aren't with you right now. I'm not going to ask. I just want to try to rebuild what we lost, and I truly feel doing so will give you a better sense of peace than running away."

Blake felt the anger rise up within her again, but tamped down on it harshly. There was truth in what he said, enough that she paused before replying carefully. "I'll…think about it."

Ozpin inclined his head. "Of course. Please, just inform me before you leave the border. I've begun forming my headquarters nearby." He clambered to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. As he turned to walk away, he paused in midstep. With his back turned to Blake, he gave one final comment. "You may not have them with you physically, but as long as you love them, they will be in your heart for eternity. Someday, you will find them again. Of this, I am sure. Have a good evening, Miss Belladonna."

* * *

_Dashing down the side street, she kept sniffing at the air. Her sense of smell wasn't much better than a human's, not like her sense of hearing, but Ruby's rose scent was still distinctive in the ash and smoke filled air. She kept her eyes peeled…the Grimm had mostly fled the city, since they didn't want to burn any more than humans or faunus did, but some were still probably around. But that's when she heard it. A massive crash, as though a building had come down, only a few blocks away from her. Something in her, some instinct, told her she needed to go there as soon as possible, and before she could think about it, she had run in the direction of the sound._

_When she arrived, she wished she hadn't. She wished she'd just gone another direction. Or had found a scared cat. Something. Anything. Anything to not see what she saw as she came around the corner, skidding to a stop, everything slowing to a crawl as her mind picked up all the details before her. As she heard Weiss' vicious verbal assault, and what she beheld._

_Ruby's cloak, sans Ruby, held loosely in Yang's arms. Blood, puddled on the ground beneath it. Yang, her feet set, her body in motion, swinging toward Weiss' unguarded face. Weiss face, first contorted in rage, then frozen in terror, as Yang completed the swing. Weiss' body flying through the air like a rag doll, her form graceful even as she was thrown through the window, shattering glass and bringing time back to the current._

_Everything seemed to speed up instantly, the roaring of flames, the cries from Yang, the sirens in the distance all at once. Blake was frozen though, unable to move, as her eyes met Weiss' opened ones. The depth of anger and fear she saw in them shocked her to the core, but before she could react, Weiss was gone…vanished, into the smoke._

_Yang wasn't much better. Blake didn't even have a chance to do more than say her name, before Yang had fled, after screaming at her. Blake was alone, all alone, again. By herself, no one around her, the last remnants of her family disappeared…one of them for eternity. Blake stumbled forward, to look down at the puddle of blood on the ground. Staring into it, she found herself immersed in its deep red color, in the small droplets falling off into the distance…wait…_

* * *

Blake jerked awake with a gasp, sitting upright and nearly sending Zwei flying from where he was seated on her lap. Droplets of blood leading away from the puddle. Droplets of blood. As though someone had walked away bleeding. No tears in the cloak, no sign of a struggle, just a small puddle of blood that wasn't enough blood for a person to die of exsanguination. Ruby was _alive!_

She leapt up, dashing madly through the camp, the worried corgi following behind her. The camp was quiet in the darkness, late in the night, but she didn't care. She had to move _now_. She ran to the door of the headquarters Ozpin had mentioned, and without even knocking barged straight in, startling the older man as he sat reviewing papers on his desk. He opened his mouth to speak, but she slammed her hands down on the table, interrupting him as she leaned over to look him dead in the eye.

"I'll help you. I'll do whatever you want. On one condition. You help me find my team."

He arched an eyebrow. "I was under the impression they had died in the Fall." Blake shook her head no, and proceeded to give him a brief summary of what had happened in the city. He leaned back, steepling his fingers as he gave her a contemplative glance. "That doesn't guarantee Miss Rose is alive you know."

"She's alive, I know it! And if I find her, Weiss and Yang will come back! We'll be together again! That's my deal, help me find them, and I'll do whatever you want for your project until the day I die! I swear, on my life, I will do whatever it takes for you, if you'll just help me." Blake's voice was desperate, pleading, eyes wild as she stared down at Ozpin.

He took a deep breath. "Very well. We have a deal."

* * *

That had led to where she was now. The Reclamation Project was well under way, over half of Atlas had been reclaimed, in no small part thanks to her. After seven years, the project was finally steady enough, and he had released her so she could try to track down Ruby. Which is what led to her being in the desert wastes of Vacuo. Tales of a mysterious cloaked stranger who struck down Grimm in a flash and then vanished shortly after had surfaced over a half a decade ago, and who else but Ruby would be so theatrical? Blake just _knew_ it was her. As soon as she found Ruby, she'd be able to bring her family back, all she needed was her favorite book buddy back.

Zwei shuffling up against her leg broke her concentration, making her realize she had walked nearly blindly into the oasis itself. Zwei really had been a life saver for her, keeping her focused and on the lookout for danger over and over. She smiled down at him, giving him a quick pat as she strolled into the oasis. Good opportunity to replace her water supplies.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Zwei suddenly barking excitedly and bursting off, his stubby legs moving as fast as she had seen them move in years. He ran over and ripped a large stick out of the ground, one nearly as big as he was. He quickly dragged it over to Blake, dropping it at her feet and barking at her excitedly.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Zwei, I don't think now is the time to play fetch."

Zwei gave her a cute little growl before shaking his head, his entire body following the motion. He nudged the stick again, yipping at it, before panting at her. She rolled her eyes, picking up the stick. As she ran her hand over it, preparing to toss it, she paused. Something felt different, almost as though the stick had some lines in it…

She flipped it over, looking down at it, before feeling her heart stop as her eyes grew wide. She choked out a breath, staring in stunned silence, as she glanced down at an intricately detailed carving of her own flower emblem she used to leave everywhere back at Beacon. Yang's burning heart, her favorite shirt decoration. Weiss' snowflake, the symbol of her house. And…Ruby's rose. Maybe ten people alive knew all four of those emblems, and of them, all of them were accounted for, except…

"Ruby," Blake breathed out, her hands shaking as she stared at the piece of wood in her hands. Images flitted through her mind, of shimmering silver eyes, of laughter and joy, of a woman who danced with her weapon in a flurry of rose petals. The glue that held team RWBY together, Ruby Rose…eight years. She had spent eight years, convinced herself Ruby was alive against all odds, and here, here was her proof. The last piece of the puzzle! She could bring her family back together now!

Without taking her eyes away from the stick, she tapped her ear, activating her headset. "Shadow calling Shield. Shadow calling Shield. Anyone receiving?"

She heard a loud scramble, and then a relieved voice practically shouted in her ear. " _Blake!_ By Dust Blake, you're a week late for your report! We were worried about you!"

Blake winced. "I'm sorry Jaune. I-"a growl cut her off.

" _No_! No more excuses Blake. We've told you time again, report on time. Damn it Blake, do you not realize what this does to us? We're your friends! I've been to too many damned funerals already, I don't want to even think about going to yours. So don't give us this shit. Next time, report in on time, so I'm not sitting here terrified of what happened to you. Ok?"

Blake smiled softly, aware Jaune couldn't see her. "Ok. I'm sorry, Jaune. I didn't mean to worry you guys."

Jaune took a deep breath, calming his tone. "It's ok. Anyways, I do have good news for you."

"Hmm?"

"We found Weiss and Yang."

Blake clenched her fists in victory, her smile spreading across her face. "Excellent! Perfect timing! Jaune…Jaune, I found proof. I found _proof!_ Ruby is alive, I can prove it now!"

Jaune was silent for a moment. "Blake, are you sure?"

" _Yes!_ I swear to you Jaune, I found proof! I have this branch that someone carved on, it smells of roses, and it has Ruby's, Weiss', Yang's, and my emblems on it! How many people in the world know all of our symbols huh? It has to be Ruby! And Zwei thinks it is too!"

"Ok, ok. I believe you Blake. But what do we do then?"

Blake gaped at the air, before shaking her head. "Do? Why, we get Yang and Weiss! I'll come back to Atlas, we'll group up, and we'll go find Ruby together! And then we'll be together again, it'll be perfect! Just like before!"

Jaune sighed. "Blake…Weiss and Yang, they…they aren't…ok."

Blake sobered up instantly, her tone cautious. "What do you mean?"

"…Yang's an alcoholic and Weiss has become delusional and full of rage."

Blake blinked at his words, confused for a moment, before resolutely shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. If we find Ruby, it'll all be fixed. They'll be fine, you'll see. Just bring them to Atlas, I'll be there soon. The pilot is still back in town, I can be back within the week. Then we'll find Ruby and everything will be fine."

"Blake, I really don't know-"

" _I don't care if you don't think it's a good idea!"_ Blake screamed into the headset, before calming down instantly. "Jaune, you _promised_ me you'd help me. Please…please, this is what you promised me. Jaune, _please!_ "

Jaune took another deep breath as he leaned back in his chair. Blake could hear the telltale sounds of gears whirring as he moved, a metallic clang as he placed a hand on the desk. "Alright. I'll get ahold of Ren and Pyrrha and have them bring them in. They'll be here by the time you arrive. But Blake, be careful ok? I don't think this will be as easy as you think."

"Don't worry Jaune. I know what I'm doing."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - This chapter includes self-harm and suicidal ideation. If you happen to be effected by such things, please don't read or at least read with caution. Just wanted to give fair warning.

Ruby shuffled into the small town, her cloak wrapped closely around her. This town didn't even have a name really, although it got some decent trading caravan's coming through it. And it always needed Grimm cleared out, which was why Ruby had come back to it often enough to be known. At least, her cloak was. She saw a few of the townsfolk looking up and whispering excitedly when they saw her, but she paid them little heed. She knew they wouldn't bother her. Most of the townsfolk were Faunus, ones who were very determined to distance themselves from the White Fang after the Fall, and they preferred to live their lives unbothered, just as she did. So this town made a decent place for her to stop.

She stepped into the cool shadow of the open awning leading into the town's main inn. With most of the buildings built out of stone, the interior's kept a nice cool temperature. Stepping up to the counter, Ruby placed down three large sets of teeth. The innkeep, a short mouse Faunus, inspected them for a moment before nodding at Ruby brusquely. Ruby gave a small smile of gratitude, one returned by the innkeeper, before the innkeep placed a large pouch on the counter. Ruby glanced inside, happy to see at least another fifty rounds in it.

Ruby almost always refused payment for her hunting, but she couldn't do it without supplies. So she accepted payment in shelter, food, water, and ammunition. Most townsfolk were more than happy to trade such with her, but often insisted she take at least some coin. Ruby didn't want to appear rude, so she'd accept, but soon as she hit the next town she tended to donate what Lien she had to whoever seemed to need it the most.

But here, she had a standing agreement with the innkeeper. She'd get a room for the night, food, as much water as she could carry, and as much ammunition as the lady had been able to get from the latest trading caravan to pass. It wasn't easy to collect…while ammunition wasn't necessarily limited in Vacuo, her rifle required a very specific caliber, one that even back in Vale and Atlas wasn't the most common.

 _'Shut it!'_ she snarled in her head as soon as the names of the other two kingdoms crossed her mind. She took a deep breath, just deciding to be grateful she had managed fifty this time. That should hold her over for quite some time. With another acknowledging nod to the innkeeper, who respected her desire for no speech, she turned to the back of the large open air room and ascended the stone stairs carved into the wall.

The inn was only three floors high, but it seldom had many visitors. But Ruby preferred a different room personally. She ignored the hallways spouting off the stairs, heading straight up to the door at the top of the building. Stepping through it, she found herself under a large tarp, stretched out across poles, blocking the sunlight from pouring down on half of the room. She gave a small, tight smile at the area, before laying her cloak down upon the dusty rooftop.

She preferred it up here, where she could be undisturbed, and could when darkness fell, move out from beneath the tarp and look up at the stars. Vacuo had many clear nights, where the shattered moon was perfectly visible alongside uncountable sparkling lights scattered about the velvet backdrop of night. It was one of the few times Ruby could feel safe and yet alone, alone with her thoughts, safe enough to relax and maybe let her guard down a little bit.

* * *

As night fell, Ruby relaxed into the lawn chair the innkeeper thoughtfully kept out for her. She had been delightfully surprised three visits ago, when she found the chair seated out, in perfect position to view the stars above. She slept in that chair every visit, it becoming a bit of a ritual for her. She let her thoughts wander freely, just casually spending time staring into the sky, breathing deeply the scent of family dinners wafting up to her. She knew that if she slipped down the stairs, the innkeep would have a plate full of home cooked food for her, piping hot even hours after the kitchen had closed. She was nice like that.

But Ruby couldn't go down. She knew she couldn't. Being alone with her thoughts was sometimes therapeutic, but not every time. Sometimes, being alone with her thoughts was more of a torture than a blessing, as she found herself reliving every reason she was alone for the past eight years. Every memory, every scar, every mistake she made that had torn everything from her.

Maybe if she'd been quicker when she had originally hunted Cinder down, she could have stopped the Fall. At least, in Atlas. Vale fell quickly, unable to hold back the tides of Grimm Cinder and her White Fang allies had unleashed. She'd slain Cinder, before Cinder had ever made it to Atlas. She had truly believed that Atlas would be safe, and with that, she could have retaken Vale with her allies. That's what Ruby had believed, anyways.

But she was wrong. Cinder was not so stupid as to make all of her plans rely entirely on her. Cinder had wanted the world to burn, and she made sure that even in her absence, even with her closest allies fallen, that the plan would continue. Contingencies within contingencies, creating an outright race war that had torn at the hearts of her friends as they realized that the only reason Cinder had succeeded in riling the White Fang up was that the humans had _earned_ that hatred.

The Faunus War should have ended in peace. From a technical standpoint, it had. But the truth of the matter was, humanity had not kept up their end of the deal, and when it came down to it, it was humans who had lost the war. They had sued for peace first, and the Faunus had agreed. They never wanted war, they just wanted equality. But even at a young age, Ruby had seen that they never got it.

When the White Fang had gone rogue, it had ripped at Blake's heart. Ruby remembered how torn up she had been when her secret was first revealed, and how it had hurt Blake to hear about what had happened to Weiss and her family. But as Ruby aged, she quickly realized…the White Fang were destructive, yes. And she didn't agree with their methods, nor did anyone on her team. But she saw _why_ they were so angry. By any stretch, humanity had failed to uphold their side of the peace treaty, so the White Fang went to war. Things like that were why Ruby couldn't truly hate them. She had no idea how it felt to be discriminated against, but she could understand enough to see that those who had joined them had felt they had no other option. No, she couldn't hate the White Fang, although hating Cinder was something else.

Cinder had just wanted to watch people suffer, to destroy. Cinder hadn't given a single damn about the White Fang's cause, all she wanted was to use them. Ruby could freely admit she hated Cinder, but Cinder was dead now. By her hands. Lot of people were at this point...

Ruby glanced down at her hands, slowly rolling them over to glance at her palms. Letting her gaze roll over to her arm and up, glancing at all the scars she'd accumulated, following their lines up to her shoulders. Something deep within her hurt, something kept pushing at her mind, reminding her of that day back in Atlas. The day she'd rescued a child, only to leave it an orphan in twenty three seconds.

Her left hand reached down, grasping a small, diamond edged knife she kept hitched onto her belt. This belt was in pristine condition, one she only ever used for one purpose. One knife, every time, the same one. She'd found this knife shortly after she had left Atlas the final time, a remnant of someone else's life. It was just lying there, unmarred, casually seated out in the open. Like destiny.

She calmly unzipped her vest she wore over her shirt, before shucking her shirt off. Stripping her worn pants off, leaving her in a simple bra and pair of shorts, she lay back on the chair. Goosebumps tickled her skin as the cool night air blew over her, but she ignored it. Half reclined in the chair, looking up at the stars, Ruby held the knife up above her, letting the moonlight glint off of it. She carefully turned it around, watching as the edge held the light on it, shimmering in the light. The reflection in the night air was almost…blue, reminding her of someone's eyes…

Someone she'd never see again. She didn't deserve to see again. Someone who she had failed, long ago. Just like she failed Blake, like she failed Yang. Like she failed her uncle. Qrow had been a drunk and an ass at times, but she knew he had loved her dearly. Like her father, his smile, Dust she missed his smile. She remembered the days when Yang and her dad would rush into her room on her birthday, both grinning ear to ear, presents in hand, and a plate of freshly baked cookies Yang had just made for her.

That smile she'd never see again. She was sure he was somewhere else, looking down on her in shame, just as her mother was. Ashamed of raising such a failure…big hero. Couldn't even save someone from a burning building. Speed semblance and still too slow. Ruby brought the knife down slowly, letting the point rest on her chest, right above her heart. She could feel her heart beating, feel the pulse flow through her veins as the tiny prick of the knifepoint sat right above her. Her pulse grew louder, the sound drowning everything else out.

She could feel a single drop of blood slowly leak out of her skin where the knifepoint rest, her muscles tensing as she held it up. Part of her truly wanted it, truly wanted to just shove it in, to end it so she could finally be at peace from all this. Every time she sat still, pain, pain in every part of her body, this ache for the family she'd lost and the family she'd run from, the family she didn't deserve. The drop slid down, following the gentle curve of her chest, leaving a miniscule red trail as it went.

Clenching her eyes shut tightly, and gritting her teeth, she lifted the knife off her chest, before placing the edge against her right shoulder and slashing down with one quick motion. She watched, detached, as her skin separated for a brief second, letting her see the spongy white layer of fat just below the surface for a moment. Blood welled up in seconds, filling the cut, blocking her view of the white as it began to bubble out over the edges, trailing its way down the curves of her muscles. The warm liquid flowed down her arm, staining her skin in red, a color she was oh so familiar with.

But even the pain barely even made her twitch, barely made her mind silence itself. One more, it whispered, one more will make it ok. Most of the time, she could argue, but not tonight. Not when all she could wonder was if everyone was ok, if they had made it out of Atlas in time, if she was truly all alone now, or if they were living on without her. Without her. Of course they were. They didn't need her, they never had. No one needed her, or even wanted her. She was just a tool, just a weapon to be pointed at the enemy. That's all she was. And weapons don't feel pain.

Another slice, this time into her left, leaving another gaping tear in the skin. Something about that white layer below the skin always seemed to fascinate her for a moment, before it vanished before the sign that she was alive. Almost like the blood was delaying itself, just to make her wonder if she hadn't already died and simply hadn't realized. She let the blade trail alongside the inner edge of her arm, this time scraping a shallower cut through it. Blood was slowly to coagulate here, as the cut wasn't as deep.

Tapping the still brilliantly shining blade against her lip, she let it trail down again, as if she was in a trance. All she heard in her mind was screams, all she could see were flames, all she could think of was those who had died on her watch. Thousands, tens of thousands, all dead in Vale and Atlas, all people she could have saved. The only way she could atone, was to bleed for every single one of them, to use her body as a living weapon to try to protect what she could. She'd bleed, she'd fight, over and over again, simply to try to make up for her mistakes, for her failures.

But Dust she was tired. So very tired of living, so very exhausted of trying to make up for what could never be made up for. She didn't even know why she bothered to go on. One little stab, and it'd be over. Or one shot from Crescent Rose, if anything could kill her, it'd be her rifle. But then again…

Ruby gazed down at Crescent Rose, looking over its sleek, fully extended form. It had never judged her, not before, but looking down on it she could see it judging her. It was like it was talking to her, whispering to her, reminding her of how worthless she was. The blade opened another slice on her upper thigh, warm liquid trailing down her thigh, pooling below her. It slipped through the straps making up the lawn chair, landing on the roof, a tiny puddle slowly growing over time as another cut landed on her hip.

She lost track of how long she let the knife play over her skin, of how many sharp stinging sensations burned through her brain as the words kept repeating. _'Failure, worthless, pathetic. You let me die…you let me die…you let me die…you let me die…'_ over and over again, whispered, shouted, calm, raging.

It wasn't until she shivered, her skin having paled considerably, she realized how late it had gotten. The night air had gone from pleasantly cool to frosted, her breath fogging. Blinking her eyes dazedly, as if she had just woken, she realized she was covered in red, some still flowing, more \ dried on her skin. Even as she watched, her Aura took effect, slowly knitting her skin back together, but the scar tissue was what formed, coloring another mark on her body.

She grimaced at the sight, before another chill swept over her. She quickly grabbed the small blanket from her pack that she kept safe for nights in town, where it could stay clean and comfortable, wrapping herself up in it. She hissed as it lay on top of her new injuries, the skin incredibly tender still. She let the knife fall to the ground, refusing to hold it any longer as she tried to get better control over her own mind. A drop of liquid fell off her face, startling her. Blinking rapidly, she let her hand touch her face gently, feeling another droplet falling onto her hand.

It hit her then. She was crying. She was confused for a moment. It had been so long since she had truly cried, she'd forgotten what it was like. Another drop, and another, and the floodgates opened, tears streaming down as she curled in on herself. She sobbed into her blanket, hating herself more and more, just wishing she wouldn't wake up in the morning.

* * *

The knocking on her door made Yang smash her hand into the wall, the flimsy wood structure shaking as she hit it. Her head was pounding in rhythm with the knocking, like a jackhammer both within and without. She felt her stomach roil slowly as she rolled over, just barely holding the nausea down as she stared with bleary eyes at the door. If it was a Grimm, there would be shouting and screaming, so it couldn't be that. Who the hell would be knocking on her door? Who cared what the town drunk did anyways?

She barely managed to stop from crashing to the floor as she rolled off her dingy mattress, covered in Dust knew what, the creaking of her ancient bed frame making it sound as though it would fall at any moment. She tossed the cloak over her shoulders, not even bothering to change her stained shirt or put on her pants. The shorts she had on would suffice, for whatever they wanted, and then she'd go back to bed, or get a drink, or something. Her throat was so dry right now, but they were _still knocking!_

Growling, she wrenched the door open, nearly ripping it off the rusted hinges as she prepared to snarl at whoever was on the other side, but she found herself frozen. Tall, well-muscled, with golden armor covering her form. Long, luxurious red hair, tied back in a ponytail, and arresting green eyes looking almost shyly into Yang's.

Pyrrha raised one hand up, giving her a little wave and smiling softly. "Hello, Yang."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...back with another chapter. No details given, but I certainly hope you enjoy our next trip down this lovely train ride we're all on! :)

Ren rolled his eyes as he leapt over another fallen branch, panting lightly as he sped off. In hindsight, sneaking up on the clearly disturbed Weiss and trying to greet her was probably not his best plan. The summoned Goliath trumpeted as it crashed through the forest, small branches flinging out and hitting Ren from behind. He flinched as a large tree trunk went flying beside him, heaving a great sigh as he circled back around to get nearer to Weiss. What he knew of her summons was that she could keep them up even if her concentration was interrupted, but he also knew that in her disturbed state, he could flabbergast her enough to calm her down. All he needed was the moment… _aha!_

Quick as a serpent, he tucked his weapons into his sleeves and skidded to a stop with Weiss' growling face only a few meters from him. Raising his hands and Aura, he let the Goliath's tusks hit his flattened palms, stopping its charge in place. Few had good enough mastery over their Aura to allow it to not only absorb, but redirect impacts, but Ren had always felt it would come in handy, and it sure as Dust was. Letting the Goliath's force carry it, he grasped its tusks and lifted, bending over nearly in half as the surprised summon and _very_ surprised Weiss let out similar shrieks, as the massive glowing white being was flung off its feet and tossed towards the tiny fencer.

Eyes wide, Weiss quickly dismissed it as it flew towards her, it dissipating into harmless glowing fairy lights as it swept past her. Before she could react, Ren popped back to his feet and held his hands up calmly, calling her attention to him as he ripped his helmet off. "Weiss! It's me, Ren!"

Weiss cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowed, as she glanced at the camouflage wearing figure before her. He kept his breathing as shallow as he could, refusing to move as she studied him, her head tilting back and force as though to look him over from all angles. He suppressed a shudder as her eyes, once vibrant and steady, met his with clear killing intent in them. For a moment, he truly feared she wouldn't recognize him. He flinched as her eyes blinked, before she shook her head rapidly as though to clear it. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were clear.

"R-Ren?" She asked. "W…why are you here? Wait… _why did you attack me?!_ " she shrieked, raising Myrtenaster threateningly at him, her face twisted in a snarl.

Ren kept his hands up calmly and his voice as soothing as possible, speaking quietly. "I didn't mean to startle you, nor was it my plan to attack you. I was just trying to defend myself from your summon. I came to tell you something."

Ren waited patiently, watching as a rictus of emotions crossed her face. He kept his eyes on hers though, certain that it was there he would find his cue. Nora had always told him the 'eyes were the window to the soul', and so far he had never met a person who he couldn't rely on that for. But her eyes were full of conflicting emotions, too many for him to truly decipher. Rage, fear, despair, glee, but most worrisome was the madness. He'd seen it before, in Nora, right after the fall of Atlas. Nora had never been the most stable person he knew, and she had her fair share of childhood trauma what with being orphaned at a young age, but everything that happened in Atlas had been the final straw.

It had taken him years, with Jaune and Pyrrha's ever patient help, to bring her back to the world as recovered as she could get. Jaune had helped a lot, considering his…situation. Not that the three of them were perfect, but somehow, seeing how strong Pyrrha had been with Jaune, how she had refused to break, it had helped keep Ren stable. But between Jaune's problems, Nora's mind, and Blake's obsession, he'd had plenty of experience with the signs of emotional disturbance, and Weiss was perhaps the worst he'd ever seen.

All these thoughts had burned through his mind in moments, as he kept himself prepared to leap into action if Weiss lost herself again. The fact she had stayed in place was a good sign to him, one reminding him of how Nora would 'reset' herself when she felt she was losing it. Motion from Weiss drew his attention, as she slowly lowered Myrtenaster.

"…w-what's the news?" She asked him, voice quiet.

Ren took a deep breath, knowing this would make or break her. "Ruby's alive."

* * *

" _SHUT IT!_ " Yang screamed at Pyrrha, the red haired woman wincing at the volume. Yang's voice cracked as she slammed her fist into the door to her hut, her hand smashing through it in one blow. "Don't fucking lie to me! Ruby's dead. _She's dead Pyrrha! The dead don't come back!_ " Yang bowed her head, tears dripping off her cheeks as she sank to her knees. She placed her head in her hands and sobbed, knowing on some level that she was more sensitive due to her hangover but not caring. "…why would you come here and lie to me? What do you have to gain? Why? Pyrrha…why?"

Pyrrha knelt in front of Yang carefully, keeping her hands where Yang could see them and spoke as soothingly as she could. "I'm not here to hurt you, Yang. I mean it. Blake found really convincing proof that Ruby is alive. I swear to you, we truly believe she is."

Yang lifted her head slightly, blurred and teary lilac eyes meeting Pyrrha's green ones. Her voice was raw, cracking from disuse. "B-Blake?"

Pyrrha nodded, smiling gently. "Yes, Blake. She's been looking for Ruby since you guys split up in Atlas. She was convinced Ruby was alive, and she's been hunting down a legend down in Vacuo called the 'Grimm Reaper'. A woman in a brown cloak who uses a massive sniper scythe, she appears in a flurry of petals, slays the Grimm, and then disappears. Sound like anyone we know?"

Yang's eyes stayed on Pyrrha's as she lowered her hands slightly more, her voice pleading. "Pyrrha…please don't make fun of me."

"Yang, I _promise_ , I'm not lying. Not only that, Blake found this just last week," she quickly pulled out her Scroll, opening it to reveal a picture of a branch. On it, carved in exquisite detail, were the four emblems of Team RWBY. Yang reached out and touched the screen gently, running her index finger down it as though she could feel it. "We've managed to get signal between our Scrolls now, with some serious reworking of the system…and some fairly unusual fixes. Blake sent this to me barely an hour ago, right before I came here for you."

"R…Ruby…" Yang choked out, still staring blankly at the scroll. She clenched the tattered red fabric of the cape closer, hugging it close to her body as another tear rolled down her cheek. She glanced up at Pyrrha, eyes wide and pleading. For the first time since Pyrrha knew her, Yang didn't look like Yang. Pyrrha remembered Yang as the always smiling, proud, powerful warrior, the woman who looked after all her friends like she was their mother. Yang was fire and passion, not…this. Right now, all Pyrrha could see when she looked at Yang was a little girl who had lost everything she cared about, someone who needed her help.

Pyrrha was no stranger to someone relying on her. Jaune could barely get around without her help even after the operation. Ren had needed someone to talk to, to confide in, when he was still trying to bring Nora back from the darkness she'd fallen into. Nora had needed Pyrrha, as someone who could help calm her rampages, who could control her loss of control and stop her from making mistakes she didn't want to. And Blake…well, all Blake ever asked of her was to find Yang, and after all Blake had done for their cause, she had been happy to set off and find her.

Pyrrha was pulled out of her thoughts as Yang reached out and gripped her arm, squeezing tightly. She took a deep breath. "Take me to Blake."

* * *

Ren sighed, his arms hanging limply at his sides. This wasn't the worst possibility, but being held in midair by a giant white knight holding the back of his collar while Weiss paced in front of him was not something he had wanted. She had been silent for five minutes after she had summoned the knight…well, silent towards him at least. She'd been muttering under her breath for the entire time as she paced, her words disjointed and nonsensical. He supposed she thought she was making sense at least.

He glanced down as she finally stopped pacing, her eyes moving up to look into his. He winced internally as he realized the madness he previously had thought gone had come back full force. It was difficult to describe to someone who hadn't looked into the eyes of someone afflicted, but he knew. The slight flash in her eyes, how she kept shifting her gaze from side to side, the tiny muscle spasms in her cheeks…oh, he knew the signs well enough.

"Ruby is alive? Where? Where is she? How do you know? Where has she been? What's she doing? Do you think she'd approve? I did this for her you know. She'll love what I've done, I know it. Where did she go? Let's find her. Come on come on answer me. Dust damn it Ren _ANSWER ME!_ " she screamed, her babbling ceasing for a brief moment as she lost her temper again.

With an internal sigh, he spoke. "Blake found proof of her being alive, in Vacuo. Some cloaked woman who would appear, kill Grimm, and then disappear again. But more than that, she found this." He reached into his pocket, the knight holding him shaking him slightly as he turned slightly aggrieved eyes towards it. "I'm just getting my Scroll out. Weiss, can you let me down already? I can't show you up here." Stay calm, but stay in charge, that was how to deal with this.

Weiss rocked back, mouth gaping for a moment as his words hit her. Something about it seemed to click in her mind, as she nodded to the knight to lower him to the ground. Ren quickly straightened his clothing, before pulling the Scroll out and flipping it open to the picture he had up before. Turning it to face Weiss, he spoke. "We have some rudimentary communication with our Scrolls. Enough for Blake to send us this. Doesn't this look familiar?"

Weiss' eyes went wide as she stared at the screen, freezing in place. Ren felt more than saw the knight's presence disappear behind him as Weiss' concentration shattered. He tensed his muscles, unsure how she would take this, ready to run at a moment's notice. When she looked up at him, he blinked at the almost worried expression on her face, her speech quick and pleading.

"She'll love what I've done, right? She'll be happy I did this, right? I'm right about this, I know I am, it brought her back to life, I knew it! I knew it! She's alive because I did this and it brought her to life, right Ren? Right?!"

Ren gulped. He knew he shouldn't encourage her delusions, but this was beyond what he'd dealt with when it came to Nora. Nora at least simply had trouble realizing that what she saw wasn't always real. That the beasts in the corners of her eyes were her mind playing tricks on her. That the weird noise she heard at night was in her head. It had taken time, but they had been able to help her learn and manage it.

Weiss…Ren wasn't sure. It was obsession of some kind, that was clear, but Ren was a huntsman, not a psychologist! He took a deep breath and decided he'd figure out what to do with Weiss when they got back, for now…he needed to convince her to return.

"I don't know Weiss. But if we find her, you can ask her yourself."

Weiss nodded frantically, her hands clasped under her chin as she hopped in place excitedly. Ren was reminded of someone else, someone with a red cloak…Dust. This was worse than he thought. Weiss' voice interrupted him. "Let's go!"

* * *

"I'm so happy to see you back, Blake! And I heard the others will be here very soon! Aren't you excited?!" Nora had latched onto Blake's arm, squeezing it tightly as she smiled brightly up at Blake. Her fact spasmed for a brief moment, but it quickly fell back into place.

Blake didn't seem to notice, her gaze far away as she returned a bright smile to Nora. "I _am!_ They'll come back, we'll go find Ruby, and everything will be ok again! We'll be a family again! I can't wait!"

Nora nodded absently. "Yeah. Family…" Her expression fell for a moment, but she instantly brightened back up as she strolled with Blake.

"Yes! Family! We'll be back together, just like you guys in JNPR, and everything will be ok. Everything will be better."

Nora glanced up at Blake worriedly for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Blake…are you sure? Ren told me some worrying things about Weiss, and Pyrrha said Yang hit the bottle hard."

Blake shook her head in reply. "I'm sure! It'll be ok, I know it will. I just know it, Nora. I've waited eight years for this. To have back what was stolen from us."

Nora released her death grip on Blake's arm, spinning the darker woman to face her. Her voice was low as she spoke. "Blake…I don't think it'll be the same."

Blake's eyes went wide as she wrenched her arm away from Nora, snarling in her face. "What the hell would you know, Nora?! At least you have Jaune and Pyrrha and Ren! I have _nothing_! I haven't had anything in eight years!"

Nora gaped at Blake, tears filling up in her eyes for a moment. She threw Blake's arm away, nearly knocking the other woman over as she clenched her fists at her side. "Nothing? Is that what we are to you, Blake? Ok maybe I wasn't all there, but Jaune was! Jaune was there for you from the start! Pyrrha was! Pyrrha held you and helped you, Pyrrha protected you! Rennie stayed by your side whenever you needed someone to just sit in silence with! And since I got better I've been here too!"

Blake rocked back, astounded by the vehemence in Nora's voice. She tried to speak, her voice cracking as she began. "Nora, I-"

" _No! Shut up!_ I'm sick of this! We've been by your side this whole time, we never left you, we never abandoned you! We never hurt you! I want Ruby and Weiss and Yang back too, I've always wanted them back even when I couldn't think straight! We all do! This isn't all about you! Why aren't we good enough for you, Blake? Why aren't we part of your family too?!" Nora broke down, hands covering her eyes as she sobbed into them, tears streaming down her face.

Blake gulped, before reaching out, laying her hand on Nora's shoulder. Nora jerked it away, ripping her hands from her face as she glared at Blake. "Dust if I care anymore. You'll just leave me too, now that you got what you want. Go talk to your 'real' family, and just forget us again." She bolted off, running back the way she came, her tears clearly audible to Blake's sensitive ears. She wanted to follow her, but a sudden scream from the way she had been walking had her spinning around in place. Zwei barked once, before dashing off, his stubby legs carrying him toward the central plaza of the Administration Building.

Blake followed after him, her ears picking up on some conversation. She couldn't hear what was being said over the incoherent screaming, but she could hear Ren and Pyrrha talking calmly, sounding very similar to how they sounded when dealing with Nora during one of her episodes. A series of indistinct shuffle clank noises alerted her to Jaune's presence ahead of her as well, right before his voice rose up in the same calm tone as the other two. A breeze flowed back towards her, carrying scent's she had long forgotten…mint and citrus, a tiny hint of smoldering embers. Her heartbeat quickened as she neared the region, mind aflame with the thought of seeing them again.

She wanted desperately to see them again, so desperate she ignored the incredibly strong scent of alcohol, the metallic scent of blood. She ignored the vicious screams even as she recognized the shrill voice of one Weiss Schnee screaming. She ignored the cry of pain coming from the low voice of Yang, focusing solely on the fact it was Yang and Weiss _together_ right before her. It was just around the corner, just one more moment…

She slid around the corner, grabbing the edge of the building to halt her slide as she nearly tripped over the now cowering Zwei. A quick glance around showed Ren with his hands out beseechingly, saying something, but she couldn't hear it with the blood rushing in her ears. Pyrrha had her hand out, the telltale glow of her semblance active around her shield, positioned to throw it with one hand as her other hand was held out in front of Jaune.

Jaune leaned against the wall, panting lightly, clearly out of breath from the short walk. His right arm held onto the building as best it could, but the metallic fingers weren't very dexterous and he could barely keep himself upright. He leaned heavily on his right leg, his left one sparking slightly…he'd left too quickly and clearly hadn't let it finish charging. A tiny voice in Blake's head told her she should scold him for that, for pushing his prosthetics when they were still so unfinished even after eight years, but she pushed it into the back of her mind, letting her gaze swing over to the back wall.

And with that, her heart stopped. She had waited so long for this moment, desperately wishing for her dream to come true so she could see them again, but right now everything in her regretted that wish. Yang, one eye blackened and closed, a split lip on her face leaking blood, defiantly took another long swig from a bottle in her right hand. She was held up against the wall by her hair, held in place by the massive metallic fist of a white knight, its sword pointed directly between her eyes as Weiss glared at her. Yang hadn't even activated Ember Celica, her left hanging loosely at her side as she stared down into the furious gaze of Weiss. No trace of red was in her eyes, almost as though she had no anger within her.

Blake hadn't wanted this. She'd never wanted this…


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Back I am. So sorry it took so long, between traveling to see my best friend (Noa is the best btw), illness, work, and being sucked back into the game The Old Republic, I've had no time! But I sure hope you guys like this chapter. More angst, a bit of fluffy friendliness, and of course, even more angst. Because I'm a jerk. Enjoy! :)

Weiss glared hatefully into those lilac eyes. _'Traitor'_ her mind whispered. Someone she trusted, someone she loved as a friend, a woman she'd believed in, had betrayed her. The tiny voice in the back of her head reminded her she had struck first, she had screamed such hateful words at a woman who had lost everything, but she quickly shoved that voice back again as she always did when it spoke up. No. This woman was to blame, it was her fault Ruby had gone, and she'd still have Ruby at her side if Yang hadn't failed to stop her from running off! Yes, it was Yang's fault, of course it was!

Something in her mind hit her, a moment where she realized exactly where she was and what was going on. For a brief second, the haze that always seemed to cloud her mind cleared, and she realized she was holding Yang by her _hair_ and yet…Yang's eyes were lilac. Not red. Not a single drop of crimson had flooded into those eyes, though they stared back into her blue ones.

Weiss took a moment to study the woman before her, to actually _look_ at someone who she hadn't seen in eight years. Her hair was matted and tangled, its golden shine dulled to a sickening yellow. Though none of her trademark crimson was in her eyes, they were bloodshot. Her arms hung limply at her sides, the sleeveless garments revealing shoulders and arms crisscrossed with scars, far more than Weiss remembered her having when they were in a team. A team. Her old team, her old times...

* * *

_"Weiss! You need to try this one, this would look great on you!" Yang gushed as she came running up to Weiss. Weiss glanced over her shoulder, her perusal of new skirts being interrupted by Yang's exuberance. Yang had a wide grin on her face as she darted over, holding a pristine dress in her hands. She quickly held it up against Weiss before the shorter woman could react, before nodding once. "Yeah, you gotta try it on. C'mon, go!"_

_Weiss had long since given up on trying to argue with Yang when they went shopping, so with a heavy sigh she took the dress and marched into the changing rooms. Though Weiss and Yang's personal tastes in clothing could not be further apart, Yang somehow had this instinctual knowledge of what would look good on her friends and teammates. Weiss had learned to trust her judgement. Running her hands along the soft fabric of the dress Yang had shoved at her, she had to admit it looked beautiful in her hands._

_When she finished putting it on, she glanced up at the mirror, her eyes widening. It really did look incredible on her. A soft blue, it hugged her torso, accentuating her slender form without clinging to her. The top was cut just low enough to highlight the gentle curve of her chest, as the thin straps reached up to bind behind her neck in a halter style. She spun about, glancing over her shoulder to see her pale back revealed down to her lower back, leaving her smooth skin on display. A high slit ran up the left leg, letting flashes of her legs appear behind the fabric._

_She stepped out of the changing room to stand before Yang, the brawler's eyes going wide as Yang gave a laughing cheer to herself. "I knew it! That looks amazing on you! You have to buy it!"_

_"I don't know Yang. It looks great, but it seems a waste. It's not like we have many formal events left, it's our last year and the dance already passed…" Weiss trailed off._

_Yang brushed it off. "Oh come on! We've got the celebration after we graduate still! You can wear it then! Maybe even impress a certain somebody? Eh?" Yang winked at Weiss, the heiress' cheeks going pink._

_"I've no idea what you're talking about!" she huffed as she spun about, crossing her arms over her chest. Four years living with Yang had inured her to her personality though, and she kept her tiny grin well-hidden as Yang chuckled behind her. She went back into the dressing room and began stripping the dress off carefully._

_"So how many books do you think our bookworms will have covered the floor with?" Yang asked from outside the dressing room, amusement in her voice._

_Weiss rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Considering this is the first break we've gotten in four months? By the time we get back the entire contents of the shelves and Blake's personal collection she hides under the bunk."_

_"Which one of them?" Yang asked as she held up a shirt in front of her, critically eying it._

_"Dust, all of them I'm sure. I've no idea how you can stand letting Ruby read that tripe though."_

_"She's her own girl, if she wants to read bad ninja smut with Blake she can," Yang replied as Weiss stepped out of the changing room holding the dress. Yang eyed Weiss for a moment, before the heiress sighed and nodded. Yang broke out into a wide grin again, winking at Weiss._

_Weiss pointed at Yang. "You know the rules. If I buy this dress, you have to buy something like it too."_

_Yang nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, I already got it! I found a dress for me too, that's how I stumbled across that one!"_

_Weiss arched an eyebrow at Yang. "So who are you trying to impress, hmm Miss Xiao Long?"_

_Yang sputtered, her face going red for a moment before she managed to control herself and glared at Weiss. "No one, Princess!"_

_"Sure, whatever you say, oaf."_

_"Oh shut it, Ice Queen."_

_"Make me, brutish fossil!"_

_"Fossil? I'm only three months older than you!"_

_"And thusly you'll always be the old fossil and I'll be the young beauty."_

_"I'll have you know we Xiao Long's age incredibly well! You should see my father, looks like he's still under thirty!"_

_"I have seen your father. I've also seen your uncle."_

_Yang made an hmph noise at that. "Hey, Qrow's a perv, but he's still in his prime too."_

_Weiss rolled her eyes as she carefully held the dress, gesturing to the desk at the front of the store. "Well? Are we ready to return?"_

_Yang grabbed up the plastic containing the dress she'd found, along with assorted other articles of clothing she'd found and nodded. "I wanna stop and get a coffee before we return though. I feel like we're gonna need it."_

_Weiss shrugged as she lay her clothing out at the register, handing her card to the attendant without waiting for the total. "Sure, I could go for some coffee. But to go, we have to get back before curfew or Glynda will have our heads. Again."_

_Yang chuckled as she pulled out her wallet to pay for her clothing. "Aw, it wasn't that bad, at least it was just training."_

_Weiss rolled her eyes. "For you, miss 'works out six hours a day', sure. I don't do well with weight training."_

_"Yeah, you're too scrawny for that. But since Ruby likes you being scrawny like that, guess you won't complain huh?"_

_Weiss spun about eyes wide as she stuttered. "W-wait, Ruby likes…wait, no! I don't know what you're talking about!" Weiss turned away from Yang and snatched her bags off the counter, stomping to the door as Yang grabbed her own and followed her, chuckling._

* * *

Weiss shook her head slightly, clenching her eyes closed tightly for a moment before opening them to glare once more at Yang. Forget that, forget the past, forget it all, Yang had to pay! That's what they said she had to do, that's how she'd get Ruby back. Right, they knew what they were talking about. She could trust them, they'd been the ones there for her when no one else was. They had promised she'd have Ruby back and it was coming true, so of course they were right! Right? But first…payback.

The summoned knight lifted its blade, holding it out wide as though to bring it across in a wide slash. Blake's voice caught in her throat as she tried to scream out, but Pyrrha wasn't frozen. Metal chains scattered about the courtyard flung up and wrapped themselves around the massive creature, tethering it to the ground and nearly dragging the sword from its hands. Weiss growled, and with a peremptory gesture rune circles formed around the chains, glowing a brilliant blue for a brief moment before the metal shattered. The knight quickly flung its right arm out to the side, heading towards Pyrrha's form. She lifted her shield to intercept the blow, the force of it launching her off her feet.

Jaune cried out, throwing his free arm out to grab Pyrrha. His prosthetic lost grip on the wall as her momentum hit him, and the two of them went tumbling to the ground, his leg sparking and hissing as it skidded across the cracked concrete below. Ren began to move forward, but a black glyph formed below his feet and locked him to the ground, preventing him from moving. Not once did Weiss let her eyes leave Yang's as she straightened her shoulders. The knight once again lifted its sword, preparing to swing.

In that moment, Blake, unable to move, barely registered the sounds of a weapon unfolding behind her, or how the air suddenly felt full of static. But a tremendous explosion behind her got her attention, just in time to see a blur shoot forward in a blaze of flame. For a second, Blake's addled mind confused the fire for Yang's, wondering when Yang had moved, but one moment later, as the knight was impacted by the blur, its form shattering into nothingness as it was disintegrated in one blow, Weiss tumbling away as well.

Yang dropped from the wall where she had been held, her legs hitting the ground and instantly buckling, falling to her knees with a loud crunch. She hissed in pain, biting her lip, but just let herself fall the rest of the way, slumping into a sitting posture against the wall. Blake looked up to see a wrathful Nora standing above Weiss, Magnhild at the ready, her face twitching slightly not unlike Weiss'.

Nora snarled at Weiss. " _How could you?!_ Blake has spent years looking for you two and Ruby, and the first thing you do is fucking try to kill Yang?! _She's your friend Weiss!_ So is Blake! And you fucking hurt Jaune and Pyrrha and almost hurt my Ren!" Nora darted down and grabbed one of Weiss' arms, yanking her to her feet and stepping forward into her space. With nearly identical height, their noses were barely a few centimeters apart as Nora glared at the wide-eyed Weiss.

Blake felt a sudden warmth blossom in her chest at Nora's words, reminding her once again that she didn't deserve such wonderful friends as these four. She glanced back to see Pyrrha on her feet, helping Jaune scramble up as he panted. She saw the tremors pass through him as he tried to support himself, but Pyrrha just threw his arm over her shoulder and gave him the solid foundation he needed to stand. Motion from Weiss brought her attention back to the two women before her, seeing Weiss shake her head once, twice, a third time. She brought one hand up to beside her head, the other shaking, as she smacked her palm on the side of her head, a gesture Blake had seen Nora do time and again.

Nora noticed it too, her glare turning into a shrewd glance as she narrowed her eyes at Weiss. She dropped Magnhild, the loud thud of the hammer drawing Weiss' attention to it for a brief moment before Nora planted her hands on Weiss' shoulders, forcing the white-haired woman to look at her. Ice blue eyes full of confusion latched onto Nora's. Nora cocked her head at Weiss and spoke, her voice quiet. "You hear them, don't you?"

Weiss nodded in response. Blake waited with bated breath as she watched Nora, who stood staring at Weiss for a moment, a look of _understanding_ passing over the two women's faces. Nora reached down and grabbed Weiss' hands gently in her own, before pulling them up and covering Weiss' ears with them. She released Weiss' hands, before placing her own over her ears. The two kept their eyes locked for a moment as Weiss stopped shaking. She took a deep breath, the courtyard dead silent, before relaxing her shoulders.

For the first time since she'd arrived, her eyes seemed clear momentarily, although her face still twitched as her gaze scanned over the area. She stopped at Yang's slumped form, biting her lip, before she shook her head again. She looked over and for the first time in eight years, she saw Blake.

Amber and blue met, as Blake's eyes welled with tears. Weiss rocked back slightly, her expression unsure as she stared. Nora placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder, making her jolt, before giving her a small push towards Blake.

Weiss stumbled as she walked, leaving Myrtenaster behind on the ground where it had been thrown from her hand, but she managed to make it to a few feet before Blake's kneeling form. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but her head twitched and she closed her eyes tightly. She took in another deep breath, before looking down at Blake. "H-hi," she managed to choke out, before words failed her again. Ren came up beside her, looking down at Blake pityingly.

"Weiss, come with me. You should rest," he said, sharing a glance with Nora who nodded. She quickly grabbed Magnhild and Myrtenaster, before following after Ren. Blake opened her mouth as if to speak to her, still desiring to apologize for earlier, but Nora shook her head at her with a soft smile. She bent down for a brief moment to speak to Blake softly.

"It's ok Blake. You're forgiven. Gotta stick together, right? You can handle it, I believe in you! Now go get your partner." Nora straightened up and with a tiny nudge on Blake's shoulder, marched off after Ren who was leading a silent Weiss away.

Blake looked over to see Yang, still slumped against the wall, the bottle she had been holding currently held up to her face as she drained it. She shook it for a moment, before sighing, giving the bottle a weak toss. It hit the concrete on its side, but the throw had so little force in it the bottle just slid across the ground, skidding until it hit a crack in the concrete and rolled over it, getting stuck in the small dip it created.

Blake stumbled to her feet, shuffling slowly over towards Yang. As she got near, her nose was hit with the incredibly powerful scent of alcohol. She nearly felt drunk just from the scent. For her part, Yang slowly lifted her head to look up at the approaching Blake. Blake had lost track of how many times she'd choked back a gasp today, but this time she couldn't resist letting it out.

Yang's eyes, once such a clear lilac, were bloodshot and blurry. Her right eye was blackening, the bruise spreading across her face rapidly, turning pale, dirty skin to a dark color. Her lip was split, blood trickling down her chin, dripping off it to fall into her lap. As she glanced at Blake, a spark of recognition flared as she mumbled in a raspy voice. "Hi Blake."

Blake gulped, feeling so many emotions flooding through her at once she wasn't sure what she was feeling anymore. But she was determined that this meeting would go better than the one with Weiss. "H-hello, Yang." Inwardly she winced. Who the hell just says 'hello' to someone they'd not seen in eight years?

"I look like shit, I know," Yang commented. She gave a humorless chuckle. "You got anything to drink around here?"

Blake straightened up. "O-of, of course! I mean, I can get you some water, and we have some juice somewhere-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You're not that stupid Blake, unless things have changed that much," Yang's tone was drained and tired as she replied to Blake.

Blake felt like she had been slapped from Yang's words, and her jaw dropped. "I…I…" She mentally slapped herself. Now wasn't the time to be getting insulted by Yang's insinuations. Yang was still hurting and upset and drunk, no need to blame her. "W-well, you really shouldn't be-"

"Shut…up," Yang warned, making Blake jerk back in shock. "I don't care what I should or shouldn't be doing, got that?" Blake's mouth dropped open at the openly hostile tone in Yang's voice, her eyes flaring red for the briefest of moments. "I spent eight years thinking my baby sister was dead, and now you people fucking come around telling me she's alive or whatever. I sure hope you're right, because when I find her, if she doesn't have a damn good explanation, I'm going to break her fucking face. So, believe me when I say, I need a fucking drink."

Blake was saved having to respond by Pyrrha's timely arrival, the red-haired woman reaching down and hauling Yang to her feet. "I'll find you something. Let me show you to your room."

Blake just watched as Pyrrha helped Yang stumble away. Pyrrha turned around and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Blake as she tried to help Yang walk away, leaving Blake stunned. A hitch clack noise from behind alerted her to Jaune's presence behind her.

"I'm sorry that this went like this, Blake," he said, his voice contrite.

Blake shook her head in negation. "No. I'm sorry. I didn't…I didn't want to believe it. I…I don't know…I don't know what to do now. How do I fix this? Jaune, what do I _do_?!"

Jaune placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a squeeze as he leaned slightly on her. She reset her stance automatically, used to the position. The two of them would often stand like this, late into the night, looking up at the sky and just talking, going over their day. Sometimes they'd talk about their worries and fears, just the two of them. Jaune didn't want to burden Ren, not with how much Ren had to work through to help Nora, nor could he talk to Pyrrha when half of them featured his worries about his relationship with her.

For Blake's part, she found Jaune to be the perfect, attentive listener. He'd just listen as she spoke to him about her mission, about her wish to have her team whole again, and never discouraged her. It was nice, having someone who'd just be there by you and would listen.

He sighed. "I don't know, Blake. I really don't know. Maybe…maybe it'll get better after a little while. It's been eight years. Nora can help Weiss I'm sure. Whatever's wrong with her, seems to be a lot like Nora's problem."

"Ren said Weiss was vivisecting and torturing the Grimm. Nora didn't do that."

"Nora has a hammer. Weiss has a rapier. Weapon probably had something to do with that. Nora did break the legs of every Grimm she found after all."

Blake had no idea why that made her giggle, but something about that memory, about that line, reminded her of the first time she'd ever said that. Jaune's dry chuckle beside her made her realize he had thought the same as her, the two of them sharing a tiny laugh for just a brief moment. She sighed, taking a deep breath after. "We probably shouldn't be laughing at that."

Jaune shrugged. "We probably shouldn't do a lot of things. Doesn't seem to stop us."

Blake smiled, a genuine smile as she glanced up at Jaune. A single tear trickled out of her eye as she sniffled slightly. "Thank you. For being here."

Jaune glanced down at his leg, and flexed his other arm for a moment, before giving a rueful half laugh. "Not easy for me to go anywhere else, really."

Blake gave him a gentle push in the shoulder, before straightening up. "I guess we should head in. Let's get you back to your room."

Jaune nodded, shuffling forward with the same clanking noises as Blake walked beside him. "Maybe tomorrow will be better."

Blake closed her eyes tightly, squeezing them together before taking a deep breath. "I hope so, but I doubt it right now."

"Have hope, Blake. Don't give that up. It's kept you going this long. I'm sure it'll serve you well."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And back with chapter 8! Much like many have asked me to do, this story is going to be very, very slow. So this chapter is slightly shorter than I like (I aim for three thousand words normally, and this isn't quite twenty eight hundred), but...I think it needed to stop where it did. So here we are, chapter 8!

"Where're we going?" Yang slurred, stumbling along behind Pyrrha as the red-head marched forward.

"You said you wanted a drink, didn't you?" Pyrrha called back, her voice strangely subdued.

"Yeah, but I didn't think we'd have to walk forever for it. Besides, I don't see anyone else around, isn't this some kinda center or somethin' for the new town?"

Pyrrha sighed, stopping in her path. She stood silent for a moment, before whirling on Yang. "You need to promise me something. Where we're going, you don't speak of to anyone, you don't mention it again, and you never go back without me. Clear?"

Yang rocked backwards slightly. "What?"

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at Yang. "You heard me. Promise me."

"Fine, fine. Whatever. I promise. Now what the hell is going on?" Yang asked, a note of annoyance creeping into her voice.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll explain when we get there. You get a drink and a story, and I get one in return. Your story, of the last eight years. Deal?"

Yang arched an eyebrow at Pyrrha. "Are you trying to bribe me into telling you where I've been with alcohol?"

"Not just any alcohol. I guarantee it's better than any of the swill you've been drinking."

"…You have my attention. Lead on."

* * *

" _This_ is what you wanted to show me?" Yang asked incredulously. The two stood before a pile of old scrap metal, taller than both girls.

Pyrrha nodded. "Yup."

"I haven't drunk nearly enough for this bullshit. Start making sense," Yang growled out, giving Pyrrha a glare from her side.

"Chill. I told you, you'd get your drink. Stand back," Pyrrha ordered, before closing her eyes in concentration. A black and silver glow surrounded her for a brief moment, before the scrap metal began to writhe and shake. Seconds later, it all floated up into the air, revealing two metal doors latched together. An old storm cellar it looked like. The metal floated down into two neat piles on the sides of the double doors, and the two doors flung open, revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness. Pyrrha gestured forward. "Ok, get in."

Yang took a step back. "What the hell? I'm not going down in there by myself!"

Pyrrha scoffed. "Oh shut up and get in. See, I'm going." She started walking down the stairs, looking back up at Yang. "Well?"

Yang sighed. "This better be worth it," before following Pyrrha down. The two doors slammed shut with a deafening clang, the sound echoing into the blackness around them. Yang narrowed her eyes, trying fruitlessly to see into the gloom. "Pyrrha?"

A small noise came from her left, a sparking noise going off a split second after. Suddenly, a series of fluorescent lights sputtered on, revealing a large rectangular room. Along the far wall, a series of shelves stood, numerous bottles stacked on them haphazardly. To her left, a pair of worn couches were shoved up against the wall, while on the right a flat, square projector screen hung down from the wall. A small table rested between the couches as Pyrrha strolled towards the back wall. She peered at the bottles for a moment, before pulling one off and holding it carefully in her hands. She inspected it, reading the label, then nodded decisively.

Yang watched, blinking, as Pyrrha went over and collapsed the nearby couch. She held up the bottle, twisted the cap off quickly, and held it up to her mouth. She took a long draft of it, before breathing out a deep sigh. Looking over at Yang, her emerald green eyes met Yang's lilac ones, and something in them _shifted_. She suddenly looked a decade older, her smile gone, just a deep lethargy taking over her face. She gestured to the couch next to her. "Well, are you going to sit or what?"

Yang sat hesitantly, startled slightly when Pyrrha thrust the bottle in her face. Yang grabbed it instinctively, looking over it before eyes widened in shock. "Atlesian Malt Whiskey? How in Dust's name did you get a bottle of that? Company blew up eight years ago, didn't it?"

"When we went on scavenging missions to get what we could from the city, well…no one else wanted it. It's not needed. So instead, I keep it. Whatever I can find."

Yang took a swig, then another, letting the burn flow down her throat. She had come to love the burn that came with strong drinks, but this was something else. This wasn't someone's half-assed attempt at making alcohol to sustain a small village, this was high quality whiskey. She savored the strong flavor, the heady scent of the alcohol, letting it fill her with the warmth she hadn't felt from deep inside in so long. So lost in the feeling she nearly spilled it on herself when Pyrrha made a loud 'ahem!' noise, holding her hand out in front of her. Dumbly, Yang stared at Pyrrha's hand as she made an insistent gesture.

"Hey, share!" Pyrrha commanded, making Yang shake her head, startled. Yang quickly handed the bottle over, Pyrrha downing what had to be the equivalent of three shots in one drink, before she passed the bottle back with a deep sigh as she leaned her head back on the couch, arms over the back of it.

"You drink?" Yang asked.

Pyrrha rolled her head to look at Yang, a slight bleariness already coming over her eyes. "Wow. I never thought I'd see the day the great Yang Xiao Long would ask such a stupid question."

Yang's mouth dropped open in shock. "…you're not the same Pyrrha I knew."

"It's been eight years Yang. What did you expect? You sure aren't the same Yang I knew. But I trusted you enough to show you this place."

"What the hell _is_ this place?" Yang gestured around at the room, before taking another swig and passing the bottle back without being prompted this time.

Pyrrha held the bottle in her hands for a moment, eyes closed as she took a deep breath. "The only place I can just be myself. I don't have to be a hero, I don't have to be a role model. Here I don't have to the strong shoulder to carry Jaune, Nora's keeper, or Ren's confidant. I don't have to be anything but whatever I need to be for myself. I figured if anyone could get that, it'd be you."

Yang took the bottle absently after Pyrrha drained more of it, barely a quarter of it left already. She took a quick swig, before leaning back into the couch much like Pyrrha had. "When did you start?"

"Drinking?" Pyrrha asked, taking the bottle off Yang. Yang nodded slowly, watching carefully as Pyrrha decided to drain the last of it, chugging whatever remained of it before wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand. Staring at the bottle, Pyrrha sighed, before dropping it into a small metal basket between the two couches. She stood, only slightly wobbly, and went over to the shelf to grab another bottle, bringing it back and handing it to Yang first. "Not really sure. Six years ago, maybe?"

"Do the others know?" Yang asked, deciding if Pyrrha was going to drink a quarter of the bottle in one go, so would she.

"They know. They just don't know where. They don't ask. We all have our things we do, to deal with it. I wouldn't keep this from them either way, but I just…sometimes I just need to be alone. And…"

"It helps you sleep," Yang finished for Pyrrha as her voice trailed off.

"…yeah."

The room was silent for a few minutes as the two women casually passed the bottle back and forth. They could have easily gotten up and gotten separate bottles, but somewhere in the back of their minds they both felt like they were drinking less, sharing it as they were. Even though they knew the truth, knew it was all a farce, they latched onto that as a justification.

Yang broke the silence after they had begun on the third bottle, already feeling the powerful effects of the alcohol taking charge as her vision was blurred. "What the hell happened to Jaune?"

Pyrrha flinched. "Improvised explosive, left over from the Fall. We were searching for survivors, maybe a couple months after you guys left. It…wasn't pretty."

"Sorry."

"No. It's ok. But I'm guessing you want to know what's up with his shitty prosthetics too, right?"

"…kinda," Yang admitted.

Pyrrha shrugged. "'s not like we have anyone who can do engi…engine…robot things around. Mechanical shit. We have a great doctor, and he could strap them onto him without a problem, but he couldn't make 'em work. It's all whatever we could scrounge up. And it fucking sucks."

Yang took a deep draw from the bottle. "I bet."

It was almost like a floodgate opened at that moment, Pyrrha's mouth opening and just not stopping. Spilling word after word, like she'd held it all in for so long and she couldn't hold it back anymore. "It's not just bad for him either. I wanted kids, you know? I wanted a family, but he can barely get around on his own, much lessh watch any kids. And trying to get pregnant ish so fucking hard when we have no time, and he can't do much without hurting me, so I 'ave to do all the work, but he can't really move or anything. And Dust, sometimes 'm so angry at him for being hurt and I know it's not hish fault either and I just feel like such a little shit for being angry. It's selfish and I know it ish! And fucking Nora is all fucked up in the fucking head I gotta chase her down all the time when she loses it! Ren's always so fucking quiet and never talks anymore and it'sh like, what the hell is he even thinking?! And fucking Blake, she's so obsessed! Dust, 'm thirty years fucking old, and I'm fucking babyshitting the world!"

A choked sob came from Pyrrha's throat, a tear trickling down her cheek as she grabbed the bottle and drained nearly half of it in one gulp. Chuckling darkly through her tears, she flung her arms out wide in an expansive gesture. "And the worst part? Other's still got it worse than me. All I can think about every time I do this stupid shit is how I'm shtill better off than half the people out there trying to fucking shurvive. What's the damned _point_ of it all!?" She took a deep breath, seeming to calm down slightly as her shoulders slumped. Her voice, previously ringing out loudly into the empty air, fell down to nearly a whisper.

"I love them all, sho much, you know? Still love you, and Ruby, and Weiss too. I don' wanna see you guys hurting, but here you are, and you're just as fucked up as me, and Weiss probably more so. And who knows where or what Ruby is now. I misshed you, Yang. You were the only one I could talk to. Ren talks to Ozpin. Blake and Jaune like to go out at night and talk. Nora talks to Ren. But you were the one I talked to. What…what happened to you, Yang?" Pyrrha looked up at Yang with blurred, teary eyes, her eyes seeking an answer.

Yang took the bottle back, finishing off what remained in it. She slumped sullenly on the couch, letting the bottle fall from her numb fingers as she sighed. "I guess Blake told ya what happened when Ruby disappeared, right?" At Pyrrha's nod, Yang continued. "I didn't know what ta do. I didn't have a clue where I was goin'. Didn' really care neither. I ended up wanderin' outside the city, and found this group of refugees. They had gotten lost or somethin' like that. Hell if I cared. I just wanted the fire. I…I couldn' feel it in me anymore. I thought if I was around one, I'd warm up enough or somethin' stupid like that. I know, how fucking stupid am I?" Yang barked out a humorless laugh as she threw her head back.

Leaning back onto the couch, she stared at the ceiling as she spoke. "At some point, some guy just handed me a tin can with somethin' in it. I didn't know for sure, but I knew that scent. You know, I used to hate alcohol. I liked to joke and kid and pretend like I liked it, but honestly, I hated it. Fucking Qrow. I mean, I loved my uncle, but he was a total dick at times. And I always thought it was the drink that did that to him, 'cause my dad used to drink after Summer died, and he was better when he stopped. Or somethin'. Who knows? But…I remember thinking, Qrow never freaked out about anythin'. He was never upset. He was a drunk, but he was always so strong!"

Yang turned her head to look at Pyrrha, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, matching the streaks on Pyrrha's face. She sniffled for a moment, her voice wet as she spoke. "I just…I didn' wanna hurt anymore. Nothing seemed to hurt Qrow when he drank. And even though I hit Weiss that night for what she said, she wasn't wrong…I coulda stopped Ruby. I know I coulda. I didn't wanna hurt anymore, and I couldn't stop thinkin' about what I'd seen and stuff. So I drank it. It tasted like piss to be honest." The two women shared a dark chuckle at that before Yang continued. "Fuckin' awful stuff. But it felt…warm. I felt warm. The warmest I'd felt in a long time, really."

Yang drooped her head down onto her chest. "I just spent years wanderin'. Drinkin', fightin', causing a ruckus wherever I went I guess. I didn't care anymore. I stopped in that town and just…stayed. They had use for me, I could do somethin' good I guess. And steady stream of drink helped. I kinda felt like I belonged, just a tiny bit, there. I hope they are still safe after I left."

"We made shure to station a hunter there, until it's found by the project. Don't you worry about that Yang. They'll be shafe," Pyrrha said reassuringly.

"Thanks," Yang replied quietly. Silence encompassed the room again for a moment, before Yang spoke up. "What…what was Blake doin' this whole time?"

Pyrrha shrugged. "Looking for you guysh mostly. In between missions and shtuff."

"Missions?"

"Had to make shure the remnants of Cinder's people were done for. Blake tracked them down, then we'd figure out how to bring them in as peacefully as possible. Ozpin didn't wanna go back to wartime, so we made shure as few people got hurt as possible. Blake and Zwei, best stealth people we got."

Yang blinked bleary eyes. " _Zwei_? And…Blake?"

Pyrrha giggled. "Yep! He's followed her around since you guys left! Honestly, he's shaved Blake more than once, or so she says. And he distracts Nora when she's having an episode. He likes to cuddle with us all a lot. When Blake and him are here, he likesh to help Jaune in the communications office. He'll get shtuff for Jaune all the time. Little dog ish so helpful."

Yang made a contemplative noise at that, before speaking in a deceptively nonchalant tone. "So, Blake…has she found…like, a Jaune? Or somethin' like that?"

"A boyfriend? Nah. No girlfriend either. She's been too busy looking for you guysh. Why're you asking?" Pyrrha looked over at Yang, eyebrow raised.

Yang shrugged. "Just wonderin' what my partner's been up to."

Even in her drunk state, Pyrrha didn't look like she believed Yang at all, narrowing her eyes at Yang, but she let it drop there. Silence enveloped them again for a few minutes, before Yang broke it, her voice quiet and meek. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not bein' here. I missed you too, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha stared at Yang for a moment, tears prickling in her eyes, before she nearly launched herself over the couch arm and grabbed Yang in a hug that would rival any of Yang's infamous bear hugs. She practically began bawling into Yang's shoulder, her nose buried in Yang's neck. Yang couldn't resist it, and wrapped her arms around Pyrrha, letting her own tears flow as she mirrored Pyrrha's posture. For the briefest of seconds, for the first time in more years than Yang cared to remember, she felt the tiniest tinge of warmth deep down inside, one that had nothing to do with alcohol.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 abounds! I gave you all fluff in Red Line, and a tiny bit in Chapter 8, and now...I give you something! But I won't say what! On a serious note, thank you to everyone whose followed, favorited, and said such lovely and kind things in the reviews and comments. I truly appreciate each and every one, so thank you all! I hope you continue to enjoy!

Ren led the way carefully, keeping his muscles tensed as Weiss and Nora walked behind him. He knew better than to trust Nora would be able to keep Weiss under control…she still couldn't control herself. And in narrow corridors like they were walking in now? He'd be at a disadvantage. You would think that with the size of Nora's weapon, and Weiss' proclivities for summoning, he'd be better equipped to fight back, but not when the walls were as fragile as they were. Sure, they were metal, but that wouldn't stand in the way of either of the two women.

He was startled out of his worried musings by Weiss' quiet voice. "Where…where are we?" He glanced behind him to see Weiss, eyes shifting slightly as she kept glancing around her at the walls and ceiling. He could see her tense, her body shrinking in on itself as she walked, hugging her arms to her midsection.

_'Shit. Of course_ ," Ren thought to himself. Weiss had spent eight years living out in the wilds as much as possible. Of course she wouldn't take well to narrow passageways where she couldn't fully bring her summons to bear. He took a deep breath. "We're traveling to your room so you can rest. We'll be there shortly, we just need to get through here, I promise." Keeping his voice steady, he kept walking, hoping that if he kept firm, she'd follow his lead.

Nora had never been comfortable in narrow areas either, even before the fall, but she had learned where this led. He could see her give Weiss a shaky but reassuring grin as she put her hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Don't worry! It's just through this door and a little further!" She pointed to the door just before them.

Ren reached down and twisted the handle, pushing the door open, letting bright, fluorescent light shine in, momentarily blinding Weiss as she squinted her eyes and held her hand up before her face. Ren stepped out the door, Nora following quickly, and Weiss with little other choice followed into the brightness, only to freeze as soon as she crossed the door.

They were in a massive central plaza, with _people_ walking around. Hundreds, maybe thousands, walking, talking, laughing. She could see a woman holding a child's hand in her own, a plastic bag full of groceries in her other. Two young men, holding hands as they laughed at a story being told to them by a young woman standing before them, her using exaggerated hand gestures to make her point. Shops along the walls, people walking in and out of them, bright lights and lively sounds coming from them. To her left, enticing scents coming from the open front door of a restaurant. Weiss' mouth had dropped, eyes wide, unable to comprehend. She couldn't reconcile what had been there years ago, with what was there now.

Ren stood beside her, speaking quietly. " _This_ is what we've been doing. This here, this is the Reclamation Project. Most of what we've retaken doesn't look like this, if I'm being honest. But this plaza, this central area, this is what we've managed to build, and we're building more every day. And frankly…this is all thanks to your sister."

Weiss' paralysis wore off as she snapped to attention, her head turning about sharply to look directly at Ren. "Winter?"

Ren nodded sagely. "You remember how Atlas used all of its dreadnaught's and the rest of its air force during the Fall of Vale?" Weiss nodded, not bothering to speak. "Well, they didn't use _all_ of it. It was…not long after…well, after you left Atlas." Weiss flinched, her left hand shaking. Ren didn't bring attention to it, but Nora sidled up next to Weiss and took her shaking hand gently in her own. He continued in his calm, even tone.

"After that, Ozpin made it clear he wanted to retake the city, and we had decided to help him. As did Blake. We hadn't named the movement yet though. But we realized quickly, even with expert hunters, even with Ozpin fighting beside us…too many Grimm in the city. We had people to keep safe and under guard, we had to find food, shelter, clean water…and Cinder's people weren't all gone. We even had some ex-Fang members helping us, helped us track down the last few cells, but it wasn't enough. We were losing ground at first, and it looked like we might have to abandon the idea."

Ren gestured to the ground directly before them, leading Weiss to look down. She blinked rapidly when she saw it…a large, perfect line in the ground, reminiscent of…of a hangar door. She glanced up at Ren again to meet his eyes as he nodded slowly. "Yes. Below this plaza, rested one final dreadnaught. Pyrrha found it on accident, sensed the massive metal below, and we delved down to find it. It was more than a dreadnaught though. It was designed _specifically_ with the idea of keeping refugees safe. Its armor was incredibly thick, it held huge quantities of food and its own water filtration system. It was armored to the teeth. And when we broke into the control room, we found a single file waiting. A single set of instructions and just enough information that Ozpin could figure out the passcodes. All courtesy of your sister, Weiss."

Weiss gulped. "Win-Winter did all that?"

Ren nodded. "We found documents in the computer system. We found out she'd convinced Ironwood to build and store it in secret, as a last resort, after the Fall had begun. But well…neither of them survived long enough to use it." Ren paused, seeing Weiss flinch again. He watched carefully as her face spasmed, eyes shut tight. Nora grabbed Weiss' other hand and squeezed, before holding them up to Weiss' ears again, covering them. Nora let go of Weiss' hands, and covered Weiss' eyes with her one hand as the other rested on Weiss' shoulder.

It made Ren's heart ache to see this, to see Weiss having to go through this, to see Nora having to see it from his side. He could see it in his mind, just a few years back, having to do this with Nora every few days. Sometimes they'd sit in silence for hours, her focusing on nothing but breathing as he helped her keep herself steady. Dust, it wasn't fair. He gave a tiny snarl at himself. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He'd deal with that later. For now, Weiss needed him at his best.

He waited patiently, hands clasped behind his back, waited until he could see Weiss stop shaking. She lowered her hands from her ears, Nora pulling hers away from Weiss' face when she did. Weiss' eyes were wet, tears gathering in her eyes but not falling as she nodded a thank you at Nora. Nora smiled softly, before Weiss managed to look back at Ren again.

Taking that as his cue, he began speaking again. "We got all the refugees in it, and with the help of some of the more clever ones, we found a way to use the dreadnaught as a sort of central signal. Between that and the two remaining CCT towers, we can run a small number of Scrolls on the network again. We're working on rebuilding the Atlesian tower as we speak. After that, we were able to use it to destroy some of the larger Grimm groups, leaving us room to go in and search for survivors, or to mop up the remainder."

Weiss took a deep breath. Her head twitched to the side again, but she shook it and looked at Ren. He could see it creeping back into her, could see that all the news was starting to affect her, but she looked determined to speak. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. With a sharp clack of her teeth as she shut it once more, she growled, her entire body shaking in frustration, before she raised one hand and _slapped_ herself as hard as she could. The slap echoed across the plaza, drawing curious glances their way as Nora rocked back in shock. Ren gulped as her eyes settled on his, ice-blue hot with frustration, tiny twitches present, but she spoke in the clearest voice he'd heard from her yet. "What did she name it?"

Ren let out a humorless half-laugh. He could understand why Weiss asked. She wanted that connection with Winter, she wanted that memory that she'd missed eight years before. She wanted that moment of knowing what her sister had created. That, he could give her. He smiled softly at Weiss. "The Reclamation."

* * *

Ren sighed as he slumped into the chair in the communications office. After all those reveals, Weiss had needed some time, so he'd led her directly to her room. He'd made sure she understood that Nora and his room was right next to hers, and at any time she could come over and talk to Nora. He had a call to make, so he'd left Weiss in Nora's hands as he left to the communications room.

Slumped in the chair, he rubbed at his eyes. It was getting late, he'd had one hell of a day, but he needed to make this call. He knew he couldn't sleep, not now. Not just because of his responsibility…sleep was elusive for him. He'd always had trouble sleeping, and even when he did, it never was very restful, but it had only gotten far, far worse since the Fall. But either way, time to make the call.

Hitting the button on the dashboard, he waited for the connection to secure itself. If he knew Ozpin (and by now, he knew him very well), he'd still be at his desk in the Reclamation, working. A single ping sounded as a face came up on the screen, the calm visage of Ozpin filtering through.

"Hello, Ren," he greeted.

Ren gave a half wave back, still slumped in the chair. "Hey."

Ozpin arched an eyebrow. "Long day, I presume?"

Ren gave a humorless chuckle. "Weiss and Yang's reunion didn't go so well. Weiss tried to kill Yang."

"Not unexpected, considering her mental state and how they parted ways. How was it resolved?"

"Nora got to Weiss, somehow. I'm still not sure how, but I guess whatever's wrong with Weiss is similar to what's wrong with Nora. Nora's tricks work on Weiss too."

Ozpin made a tsk noise. " _Your_ tricks, Ren. You keep refusing to admit it, but more than anyone else, you brought Nora back from the dark hole she had fallen into."

Ren sighed again, letting his head drop onto his chest. "Fine, fine. My tricks. Either way, it's helping, but I'm still not sure Weiss is safe, or for that matter, any of us are."

"I presume you told her about the Reclamation?"

"Yeah."

"How did she take it?" Ozpin asked, steepling his fingers as he leaned forward.

Ren shrugged. "Good, I think? She didn't blow up or anything, but she was shaking. Hell if I know Ozpin, I'm not some psychologist!"

Ozpin didn't react to Ren's sudden increase in volume, waiting patiently until Ren slumped back in his chair. "I believe, given time, she'll be alright. Just like Nora."

"It's not just the problem Nora had though. She's…she's obsessed with Ruby. She thinks that all the violence she did on the Grimm is what 'brought Ruby back to life.' What's going to happen when they find Ruby? _If_ they even do! I already heard that Yang apparently promised to 'break her fucking face' if she finds Ruby. Yang, hit Ruby? What the hell kind of bizarre world did we make, Ozpin?!" Ren's explosive rant came to an end when he leapt to his feet, kicking the chair away in frustration. He planted his hands on the desk, head bowed, his bangs falling to cover his eyes. Without looking up to the screen, he continued.

"I…I don't know if any of this is a good idea. Should we risk everything we built, everything we accomplished, for some people who don't even want our help? Dust, I feel so selfish saying that, but someone has to!"

Ozpin tilted his head to the side. "Do you still care for team RWBY?"

Ren snapped his head up to stare into the screen, an expression of shock written across his face. "Of course I do! What the hell kind of question is that? They're my friends! I promised Blake long ago I'd make this work. I'd find a way to bring them back, so she could finally have some peace!"

Ozpin held his hands out wide. "It seems to me you've answered your own question, Ren."

Ren let out a breath. "You're right. I know. I know it's what we promised. But that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if it's the right decision, for the project, for Atlas. For Vale. For Remnant itself. Weiss is a disaster waiting to happen, Yang's volatile, and Blake…I'm worried for her. Dust knows where Ruby is, or why she hasn't come back. She can't have missed all the news, not in eight years, not if she _is_ going into towns and protecting people like Blake has heard. Ruby clearly doesn't _want_ to be found! What's going to happen if they find her? Ozpin, what are we supposed to _do_?!"

"Ren, I'm not your teacher anymore. You're my adviser for a reason. You ask these questions so I don't miss any. However, after all that happened in the Fall, I will not compromise my morals again. We promised Blake we'd find them for her, and so we have. As for what will happen? Only time will tell Ren. But remember how broken your team was? Even now…Pyrrha still drinks, we all know it even if we don't say it. Jaune and Nora, well…we know their problems too. You're the most stable member of JNPR and you are an insomniac. But you've managed to pull through, all of you."

"Because we didn't run! Because we faced our problems! We fought and kicked and struggled, but we came together and are stable now because we stayed. Team RWBY didn't. They broke apart. I just…I'm not confident this will go well."

Ozpin chuckled darkly. "It won't, Ren. It's not going to go well. Their first meeting will be explosive at best, tragic at worst. But the first meeting isn't the important one. It's the second. And the third. The fourth. And on and on and on. Spending more time together will remind them of what they want, of who they are."

Ren arched an eyebrow at Ozpin. "How can you be sure?"

Ozpin shrugged. "I'm not. I'm merely guessing. But as you should know by now Ren, my guesses are very, _very_ accurate."

Ren sighed again, briefly wondering why most of his conversations with anyone led to him sighing multiple times. He pushed that thought out of his mind before responding. "I suppose. We'll see."

"I'll be back tomorrow, Ren. Let's talk more then. You should get back to Nora."

* * *

Blake had just settled into her bunk after helping Jaune reach his room, a book in her hands as she tried to take her mind off what had happened earlier. A small Dust powered lamp was on the nightstand beside her bed, switched on so she had enough light to read without straining her eyes. She had just opened the book to her last bookmarked page, when a series of rapid-fire knocks brought her attention to the door.

With an indulgent smile and roll of her eyes, Blake called out. "It's unlocked, Lily."

The door burst open as a young girl came rushing in. She leapt onto Blake's bed, making the older woman give out a loud 'oof' sound as the girl landed in her lap. Light purple hair, with deep blue eyes, the little girl leaned forward with wide eyes to stare at Blake. Blake reached out and ruffled her hair, the young girl snorting and shaking her head in protest. Blake chuckled. "What are you doing out of bed, Lily?"

"They told me! They told me you found them! And you found her! Did you find her? Did you?" Lily said rapidly, her words running together in her excitement.

Blake sighed, looking up. " _They_ shouldn't have told you. Your aunt is correct. I found two of my teammates, and I did find evidence of Ruby. We'll be looking for her soon, once we've sorted everything out."

Lily cocked her head to the side, confusion present on her face. "Sorted what out?"

Blake looked away from Lily's inquisitive blue eyes for a moment. "It's nothing you need to worry about. But I promise you, I'll find her."

"It's the most important thing in the world to you, right?" Lily asked, her voice growing soft as she looked calmly at Blake.

Blake blinked for a moment, looking back towards the suddenly calm child in her lap. It still surprised her every time this happened. Sometimes, Lily would suddenly stop being a child, and this moment would happen where she seemed so much older than she really was, where her eyes were unfathomable as she'd seem to look straight into you. Blake gulped slightly, before schooling her face into a smile again. She reached out and patted Lily on the head.

"It's one of them, yes."

Lily nodded, seemingly satisfied as she slid off Blake's bed. She walked towards the door, her bare feet making no noise on the plush carpet, before she stopped at the door. Holding the handle in her hand, she turned around to look back at Blake again. "Blake?"

Blake had set her book down, deciding now was as good a time as any to go to sleep, but she turned back to look at Lily. "Yes?"

"When you find her…can I meet her?" Lily asked, her voice having fallen to a whisper.

Blake took a deep breath. She didn't know the right answer, know if it would be right for Lily to meet her. At least not at first, not until she found out _why_ Ruby had disappeared. She opened her mouth to reply, but Lily beat her to it, shrugging. "It's ok. You don't have to answer that. Come say bye before you leave to find her please!" She called back as she shut the door behind her, her small form disappearing into the night. Blake stared at the door for a moment, before sighing. She clicked the lamp off, laying down, letting herself drift off.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Many of you expected it was time for another Ruby chapter, and you'd be right! I give no spoilers here, but I will say I cried writing the chapter. So hey, take that as you will.

Ruby sighed under her breath, keeping her eyes scanning the horizon. The blasted heat was about to melt her skin off her bones, that she was sure of. She'd spent nearly eight years in Vacuo and _still_ wasn't used to the heat. But she supposed it could be worse. She might not have such a readily available source of water if she hadn't taken on this task.

She glanced to her side, seeing the large wooden covered wagon trundling along beside her, dragged along behind the camels. Without Dust coming from Atlas or Vale, people in the other kingdoms had to ration their Dust use far more than before. And that had led to these caravans, nomadic riders and families who would travel from town to town, delivering new supplies when the few remaining airships couldn't.

Ruby was marching beside it, her head wrapped up in cloth to protect her from the blinding sun, a pair of dark goggles over her eyes giving her better vision and keeping the sand out of them. They were headed south-east, towards the title city of Vacuo itself. Ruby had been avoiding it for the past eight years, but the impassioned plea from the caravan owner had convinced her to at least travel with them until they reached the city gates. Then, she would take her leave. As she glanced to her left, she could see the cliff walls that would follow them for the rest of the journey.

Sandworms were the most dangerous of Grimm in Vacuo, but people had long ago learned how much they disliked being near solid stone. They could easily burrow through sand, but stone blocked them, so they tended to avoid being near it. Caravans like this one would often follow the cliff walls that dotted the landscape of Vacuo. This made them more vulnerable to Grimm such as King Tajitus, Deathstalkers, and the ubiquitous Beowulfs, but in the end they traded the surety of Sandworm attacks for the chance of other Grimm. At least you could see the other Grimm coming far better than the terrifying sight of a Sandworm bursting from the ground below you, swallowing your entire wagon in one bite.

That's when she felt it. A slight twinge on the air, a tiny fluttering inside her. The smallest sense of something being…off. She didn't bother waiting, she flashed forward to the front of the caravan. Over the years, use of her semblance had become ingrained, and she could activate it entire subconscious, no longer needing that one moment to prepare herself. For all intents and purposes, it looked like she had simply disappeared, reappearing beside the caravan driver, an older Faunus woman named Ophi. She glanced down at Ruby's appearance, before instantly sending the call for the caravan to stop. She clambered out of the driver's seat, hopping down to land next to Ruby.

"Yes, Huntress? Is something the matter?" she asked. Ruby merely narrowed her eyes to the distance, before holding her hand out peremptorily. Ophi handed Ruby her binoculars, a special pair designed specifically for the desert regions, with an accurate view of at least ten kilometers out. Ruby pulled her goggles down, revealing her silver eyes for a brief moment before she placed the binoculars over them, scanning the horizon ahead.

"Yep. Thought so. Look there, eight kilometers out," Ruby said, her voice cracking slightly. She seldom spoke, and with the temperature of the day, her throat had become far too dry. Ophi took the binoculars back off her, but not without handing her a bottle of water to drink from. The older woman had made it clear to Ruby when she had taken the job, in no uncertain terms, she would have no one in her convoy getting dehydrated. Ruby took a welcome draught from the bottle as Ophi looked out where Ruby had pointed, the older woman's stance becoming less certain as she took in the sight Ruby had seen.

"Are those…" she trailed off, lowering the binoculars from her face.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Deathstalkers. Two old ones, if I'm judging the size right. But it's fine. They won't be there for long."

Ophi glanced over at Ruby. "How can you tell?"

"Deathstalkers are very territorial, especially against others of their own kind. If there are two ahead of us, it means they are fighting over the territory. And Deathstalkers don't just bellow challenges until the weaker one runs. No, they'll fight, and probably rip each other to shreds in the process. Whichever survives won't be up to dealing with us. But that's not why we're safe."

"…then why are we safe?"

Ruby took another careful drink, keeping her eyes trained out into the distance, before gesturing with the bottle. "That's why."

Ophi turned back towards the two distant scorpion Grimm, only to nearly fall over as she jolted backwards when the sand _exploded_ up from around the two Deathstalkers. Immense, scaled black forms shot up from the sand, and with horrifyingly loud screeches, wrapped themselves about the Deathstalkers. A single Deathstalker was normally a match for a single Sandworm, the two of similar size and strength, but there were at least five Sandworms twining themselves around the two Deathstalkers, and they had caught them off guard.

Even as far away as they were, the loud screams could be heard by the caravan, along with the disturbing hissing screech Sandworms made when they attacked. Ophi flinched, her scaly tail curling itself around her leg as she pressed herself up against the wagon behind her. Heads popped out from the following wagons, people too curious to stay down, but one glance had most of them instantly diving back into the shelter of their wagons. Only Ruby seemed unaffected, her eyes trained on the distant fight, not even moving as she watched the Deathstalker's being ripped to shreds by the Sandworms.

Capping the bottle calmly, she handed it back to Ophi before speaking casually. "I suggest we camp here for the night. The Sandworms were attracted by the noise those two were making. They'll slink back into the desert in a few hours, after they've finished destroying the carcasses. They won't want to remain near the cliff walls for long."

Ophi took a deep, shuddering breath, before standing tall. "As you say, Huntress." She turned to face the caravan, cupping one hand around her mouth as she shouted. " _'Ey! We're making camp here! Get the circle going!_ "

* * *

It always amazed Ruby, how quickly the temperature fell in the desert. It was almost like the desert was two entirely separate planes of existence between night and day, really. Her back to the circled wagons, she stared out into the vast desert before her, illuminated in the sparse moonlight that managed to pierce through gaps in the clouds above. She rubbed her arms slightly, shivering a little as the temperature continued to fall. She felt the warmth of the fire behind her, could see the glow in how her shadow extended out from her, but had no desire to go join the rest of the convoy's people. She didn't deserve to be amongst them. They were good people she knew, worthy of her protection, but she wasn't worthy of them.

She didn't react to the sound of footsteps from behind her. With how light they were, she was certain it had to be one of the few children who had come along, following their parents. She figured they were just wandering, and simply kept scanning the horizon, making sure she kept her vigil. A tug on her pant leg had her glancing down, to see a tottering young child, maybe three or four at best. His eyes were wide as he looked up at her, one hand clutching a stuffed bear, the other attached to her pants leg. She blinked at him, but he just smiled widely up at her, leaning against her as though he would use her as his own post to lean against.

He shimmied in place for a moment, before tugging on her leg again. "Hey lady? Lady, you gonna protect us from the bad things, right?"

Ruby wanted to respond. She really did. The answer was obvious, right? It had been what she had been doing for eight years. But she couldn't find it in her to respond to that wide-eyed innocent face. She couldn't find it within her to reassure him, to tell him she'd chase the monsters way, just the way her mother had promised her the same when she asked the same question as a child.

She was saved from answering by a gruff voice calling out with amusement in it. "Hey, get over here you rascal!" A tall, older man strode out and yanked the child up, smiling brightly at him. He turned to Ruby and bowed his head respectfully. "Sorry 'bout that Huntress. He's a wanderer, that he is. I hope he didn't bother you."

Ruby coughed, before giving a weak smile in return and shaking her head no. He seemed to take that in stride, before turning to the little one in his arms. He held one hand above him, fingers spread wide, before diving down and tickling the little boy's stomach, chuckling as the child squirmed and squealed. Between giggles, the child started begging his father to stop as he laughed joyously. "Daddeee! Daddy, stop 'dat! Daddy, no!"

The older man stopped for a moment, glancing up at Ruby's form as she began shaking in place. His face twisted to a concerned one as he cocked his head at her. "Huntress? Is something the matter?"

Ruby shook her head rapidly, quickly pulling her hood up over her head, hiding it from his view. "N-no. Excuse me. I need to go patrol." Without waiting for him to respond, she blinked away, dashing off in a flurry of rose petals, the light of the fire quickly dimming as she bolted across the sand.

Grains of sand shot up in her wake, a near furrow plowed through it as she sped off, her mind aflame. ' _No, not now. Not now. Please, please, I don't want to see this again, please._ ' She begged her own mind, feeling it pounding inside her head like a sledgehammer. She couldn't handle this, not again, she didn't _want_ this!

She lost her footing on a treacherous dune, the sand sliding out from under her and sending her stumbling forward, her semblance deactivating as she rolled down the sandy hill. She landed hard at the bottom, bouncing slightly on the dimly lit particles below her. She managed to clamber to her knees, her hood having flown off in her fall. She pressed her hands to her eyes, willing them not to water, desperately begging her mind not to give her this again, but her rebellious mind refused to relent, and she sped back eight years, to the final day of Vale's Fall…

* * *

_She was dying. She knew as she lay there that she couldn't survive these wounds, not like this. But she was ok with it. Cinder had fallen beside her, taken her last breath only moments ago, and that meant it was over. She'd won. If she had to die to stop her, she paid the price gladly. Those twin strikes down her front, piercing clean through her aura, ripping her skin to shreds and sending spurts of blood into the air had been her life being claimed. But Cinder had left herself open, hadn't anticipated Ruby's desperate desire to win, and even through the burning pain, Ruby managed one final swing._

_The expression of shock on Cinder's face as Crescent Rose hit her in the side, it's incredibly sharp blade carving clean through her was etched into Ruby's mind. Even now as she lay dying, she could feel nothing but guilt, knowing she had been the one to kill Cinder. Knowing that she had forever stained Crescent Rose's perfect blade with the blood of another person._

_Flat on her back, she could only gaze up at the sky and watch the clouds drift across the night. Smoke rose up from all over the city, black clouds dissipating into the darkness as the light from the shattered satellite that was Remnant's moon shone down upon the scene. She couldn't really hear anything anymore, everything seemed muffled and toned down, save an annoying ringing in her ears that she wished would just go away._

_The view from the moon was blocked suddenly by golden hair, flames still lit in them as Yang appeared above her, tears dripping from her eyes. She could see Yang's mouth move, but couldn't hear her voice, couldn't hear what she was trying to say. She wanted to, she truly did, but all she could hear was that ringing again. She felt the heat from Yang's semblance surrounding her, but couldn't feel Yang's hand as she placed it over her chest. Yang lifted her hand up, gazing wide eyed as it was covered in a dark, dripping liquid._

_A flash of white to her side had her eyes moving sluggishly, letting her see Weiss beside her. Weiss' hair was loose, covered in blood and Dust knew what else, but she was there. Dark hair knelt on her other side, alerting her to Blake's presence, giving her a brief chance to smile internally. They were all here, they were ok. That was good. That was enough for her. She let her eyes flutter closed, the darkness beginning to claim her mind, letting herself drift off as the pain began to relent._

_Suddenly she nearly jolted upright, a massive searing pain burning through her. Her eyes snapped open, a silent scream echoing from her now open mouth as she saw Weiss standing above her, tears in her eyes with Myrtenaster laying upon her chest. Smoke rose up from below her chin, as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Ruby felt her body thrash involuntarily, only stopped from sitting up by the strong pressure of Yang's hands on her shoulders as Blake held down her legs. She felt blood bubble up from within her throat, coughing as it began to dribble out of her mouth._

_Weiss sobbed for a moment, before she lifted Myrtenaster up and moved it slightly. Ruby's eyes widened again, shaking her head desperately, but unable to say anything before the burning began again. She felt her flesh being seared shut, and somewhere inside she realized they were trying to cauterize her wounds, but by Dust it fucking HURT! Something snapped inside her, and she felt the blackness overtake her once more._

* * *

_She came to again, pain lancing through ever part of her as she felt a slight rumble beneath her. She managed to blearily open her eyes, to see a metal ceiling above her, one reminiscent of…a Bullhead? She coughed once, twice, before hearing a sudden clang as footsteps ran to her side. Golden hair? Oh. She wanted to say hi, to tell her Dad she was ok, but she couldn't seem to speak. She tried to lift a hand up, but found it was restrained. Taiyang looked down at her and smiled, patting her shoulder gently before speaking softly._

_"It's ok, Ruby. We're gonna get you out of her, you and the rest of your team too. You just lay there, we'll get you somewhere safe, I promise."_

_Ruby heard someone call his name and watched his head instantly swivel around to gaze behind him, before he left her side with another pat on her shoulder. Straining every muscle in her body, her entire form shrieking with agony, Ruby managed to roll her head over enough to see the rest of the compartment. Yang was slumped in a chair, her right leg held straight by a splint as she lay unconscious. Blake was beside her, leaning on her, also seemingly out cold. Weiss was beside Ruby, staring worriedly out the open door on the side of the Bullhead, prompting Ruby to look out into the darkness._

_Her eyes widened as she saw hordes of black shapes, massive armies of Grimm, charging straight at them. She could hear the engines of the Bullhead give a pitiful whine, a slight shudder of the airship as it tried to start up, but it fell flat. Her ears caught the sound of low speech, hearing the baritone sound of her uncle speaking hurriedly._

_"Pilot says he needs at least another couple minutes to get this bird airborne, but we don't have a fucking minute. Those Grimm will swarm this damned thing in half that!" She saw Qrow lean on his scythe, gesturing out towards the incoming Grimm. "Where the hell is Ozpin?"_

_Ruby's heart leapt slightly as she heard the sound of Glynda's smooth tone reply to Qrow. Between Glynda, her dad, and her uncle? She knew they'd be safe. "He's on the other side of town. He's supervising the last transports of refugees. We're on our own here, Qrow."_

_A heavy silence filled the compartment for a moment, before her father spoke up, his voice heavy. "No other choice then, huh?"_

_Qrow chuckled. "Can't say I expected this to be the way it ends, but…long as they are safe, it's ok. Glynda, you keep an eye-"_

_"No. You're not doing this without me, and you know you can't. These are my students, Qrow, and no Grimm is touching them."_

_Taiyang wandered over to where Yang lay, and gently kissed her on the forehead, whispering something to her Ruby couldn't hear. He patted Blake on the head softly, before walking over to where Weiss and Ruby were. Glynda stood at the open door, Qrow beside her, the two of them holding onto the doorframe carefully as the Bullhead shuddered again. The howls of the Grimm were becoming louder as they raced closer, Beowulves leading the charge on all fours._

_Taiyang knelt beside Ruby, taking her hand in his own. He smiled at her with a broken smile, wiping a tear from his eye. He bent down and kissed Ruby on the forehead as he had Yang. "I love you, baby girl. You stay safe, ok?" He glanced up at Weiss, her eyes watery as she looked up at him and smiled at her, giving her a little nod. "You all stay safe."_

_He stood up, standing between Qrow and Glynda, the three of them standing tall in the doorway for a brief moment. Glynda looked back and smiled at the four, as Qrow turned and gave a casual salute. With his trademark cocky grin plastered on his face, he glanced at the pilot. "Those are my nieces you got. Take good care of them."_

_Taiyang took one look back, blue eyes meeting Ruby's silver. Ruby wanted to speak, wanted to say something, but her voice wouldn't cooperate. Desperate, she tried, feeling everything in her pulling at her, but she could only make her mouth move slightly. He gave her one final, sad smile, before he leapt out the doorway, Glynda and Qrow following closely._

_Ruby could barely make out their forms in the darkness, sudden explosions coming from Qrow's gun as flashes of purple light showed Grimm being flung away by Glynda. She watched, eyes wide, as her father punched an Ursa straight in the jaw, sending it flying, forcing the Grimm that were approaching away from the Bullhead. A single Beowulf broke from the pack and flung itself at the Bullhead, its black bulk and slavering jaws headed straight for the open door, but it jerked to a stop as Taiyang grabbed it by its trailing back paw. With a grunt of exertion, he spun around, flinging it into an oncoming Ursa and toppling both of them._

_The Bullhead finally shuddered to life, its engines giving off a dull roar as it began to climb. It began to spin up in the air as fast as the pilot could make it go, tilting slightly to the side as he began to turn it to head out of the city. It tilted just far enough for Ruby to get one final view of the fight below her. One final glance, as Taiyang glanced back up once more, blue eyes locking with silver again, before the sea of black bodies crashed over the three battling hunter's, swallowing them up in a swarm of black and white, of teeth and red eyes._

_Ruby's voice wouldn't let her scream, let her cry, let her even speak out loud. All she could manage to do was whisper two words. "Daddy…no…"_

* * *

She couldn't scream then, but she could now. In the depth of the nights, in the desolate wastes of Vacuo, all Ruby could do was pound her fists on the sand, bowing her head down to press it against the ground below her, and scream out the last words she'd been able to speak before her father had been taken from her.

" _Daddy! No!_...please…come back. Dad, please…"


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some confusion has stemmed from the timeline, so I'm just going to clarify. This is ignoring Season 3 canon, as in this story, Cinder's assault took place shortly after the girls graduated from Beacon, and the following war that brought down Atlas and Vale lasted nearly a year. So they were together for five years, and have been seperated for eight, which is why everyone but Ruby is thirty (as Ruby is twenty eight).
> 
> As for this chapter, I hope it sheds a tiny bit of light on why the girls were so messed up, as some were also confused about that. The reason why was never solely because Ruby ran, and Ruby didn't run solely because she watched one couple she failed to save die...it's because they saw it again, and again, and again, a hundred times over. But, hopefully a bit of that shows here. Anyways, thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, favoriting, and commenting, because you all are supremely kind and lovely and nice! Thank you again!

Yang grumbled sleepily as she felt herself being shook. Her head, by Dust, her head _hurt_. She waved her hand angrily at whoever was shaking her, trying to shoo them away, but suddenly she felt herself being lifted up in the air. She jolted awake, eyes snapping open, to see Pyrrha smirking as she held her in her arms, bridal style. Yang flushed slightly, before Pyrrha winked, suddenly dropping Yang back down onto what Yang now realized was the couch.

Yang groaned, the movement making her head ache more, and quickly shut her eyes as the florescent lights began to blind her. She grabbed a throw pillow and pulled it over her face, mumbling into it. "Pyrrha! Don't torture me! And how in the hell are you so chipper? You drank as much as me!"

Pyrrha chuckled, before yanked the pillow off Yang's face and holding a glass in front of her. Yang cracked an eye open to see what looked like green sludge in a cup, for lack of a better term. She felt her bile rising and quickly looked away. Pyrrha sighed.

"Look, it tastes awful, but trust me when I say it'll kill that headache in five minutes. Ren makes it for me. Come on, try it. It's worth it to avoid the hangover."

Yang squinted up at Pyrrha, eyes narrowed as she considered. Pyrrha didn't move, holding the glass out above her, waiting patiently. Yang groaned before rolling to her side, slowly moving herself into a seated position, wincing as her head pounded once more. She sighed, before taking the glass from Pyrrha's hand. Gulping as she looked at the dark green concoction, she scrunched up her nose and quickly bolted it down. Cringing at the taste, she swallowed, letting out a gagging sound as she slammed the glass down on the table.

Pyrrha smiled at her, walking to the side to grab up a water bottle. She quickly tossed it to Yang, who barely managed to catch it, the bottle being fumbled in her hands. Pyrrha grabbed up her own and twisted the cap off, taking a deep draught. "Give it a couple of minutes, Yang. I promise, it works," she tossed over her shoulder as she took a seat on the other couch, leaning back against it. Yang took a gulp of water, before sighing, leaning back against the couch herself.

Yang waited, giving it the time Pyrrha had promised. It wasn't like she had much better to do with another raging hangover. But miracle upon miracles, she felt her headache receding and her nausea slowly drifting away. Her jaw dropped as she found herself able to open her eyes without pain. She turned in astonishment to Pyrrha. "Holy shit! It works!"

"Told you so," Pyrrha said with a smug grin.

Yang shook her head in amazement. "Why doesn't Ren sell this stuff? He'd be rich!"

Pyrrha gave a sad chuckle. "It's not easy to get the ingredients. He doesn't have much left. The main ingredient comes from a plant native to…to Vale."

Yang took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. "I see," she murmured.

Pyrrha shook her head, leaping to her feet. "Ok, not enough time to sit around. Ozpin comes back today, and he'll be able to give you three some guidance on your mission to find Ruby. But first things first…" Pyrrha turned to Yang and gave her a critical appraisal, glancing up and down at her. "You, Yang Xiao Long, need a shower."

* * *

Blake had wanted to greet Ozpin as he landed the Reclamation, but she had been summoned by Nora. Rather, Nora had ran up to her and grabbed her hand without giving her a moment to react, and began yanking her along towards the courtyard that Weiss and Yang had met each other for the first time in eight years. As Nora finally slowed to a walk a few meters from the archway that led into it, Blake yanked her arm back and began rubbing ruefully at her now very sore shoulder.

"One of these days you're going to dislocate my shoulder when you do that you know," Blake sighed as she followed Nora.

Nora shushed her dramatically, finger over her lips. "Shush! Listen!"

Blake glanced at Nora, confused, but decided to humor her. Normally, due to the sensitive nature of her ears, she tuned out most outside noise while in the safety of the Project boundaries. She closed her eyes and decided to actually listen to what was around her, her ears swiveling slightly on her head as they attempted to pinpoint whatever sound Nora was…wait…was that…?

Blake's eyes shot open as she heard it again, jaw dropping as Nora smiled gleefully before her. Nora started creeping along the wall, carefully stepping so as not to interrupt. Blake followed, far more silently, a whisper of a ghost of a wind as she snuck forward, to see a sight she hadn't expected.

Weiss Schnee was giggling. Not just giggling, but full out laughing, without a single shred of madness in it. The reason was apparent, as she lay on her back, a tiny black and gray furred corgi on her chest, licking her face happily. Zwei kept barking and growling playfully as he wiggled his furry body on her chest, Weiss' arms wrapped around him happily as scratched behind his ears with one hand, the other holding him tight to her chest.

Blake knew this moment wouldn't last. She'd seen something similar with Nora, how they had thought she had been cured, but a few days later Nora had lost herself again, going on a wild rampage that had given them weeks of work. But for one moment, for one brief second, Blake saw the old Weiss, the woman she'd go out every Tuesday evening for tea together, the heiress that had gotten past her own racist upbringing to not only befriend Blake, but to become one of her dearest friends and most trusted people. For one moment, Blake ignored that part of her mind that reminded her this would not stay this way, and just basked in the quiet joy of seeing Weiss again.

A crunch of footsteps behind them had the two swiveling about, to see Pyrrha rounding the corner, approaching them, a small half smile on her face as she waved lightly. Blake's smile was strained, knowing where Pyrrha had been last night, but not willing to bring it up, not now. And that's when Blake's heart skipped a beat.

Following behind Pyrrha was a woman Blake barely recognized from who she had seen the day before. Yang's golden hair was shimmering in curls down her back, her clothes freshly washed and wrinkle free. With her jacket off, and nothing but a simple tank top on, Blake could see that her muscles had not degraded a single iota since they were younger, but were still perfectly carved. And her eyes…clear, beautiful lilac, latching onto Blake's amber ones with a slight hesitance. But when another squeal rang out from behind Blake, her eyes shifted, going wide as they caught sight of Weiss on the ground.

Yang gulped, taking a deep breath. "Well, that's not something I expected to see."

"It's cute though," Nora chimed in, soft smile on her face as she watched Weiss play with Zwei. Pyrrha quickly nudged Yang in the side, tilting her head towards Blake meaningfully. Yang gulped, before taking a step towards the still frozen Blake.

"Hey, um…Blake?" Yang said, a question in her tone.

Blake snapped out of her frozen state. She met Yang's gaze again, feeling her cheeks slightly flush. "Y-Yeah?" she replied, cursing herself inside for stuttering again.

"I'm…I'm sorry. For snapping at you. Yesterday. Y'know, the drink thing." Yang looked at the ground, her voice trailing off as she spoke.

Blake shook her head frantically. "N-no, it's fine. It's fine. I-"Blake found herself interrupted by a sudden loud bark, as Zwei seemed to finally notice them. She felt him charge right between her legs, barely brushing hers as he made a running leap at Yang, slamming into Yang's chest with so much force she staggered back a few steps. Yang's arms automatically came up to hold him, jaw open in shock, just in time for him to begin slobbering all over her face.

Yang made a pbbt noise, as she tried to wipe the saliva from Zwei off herself, but slowly her motions ceased as she held him. Yang's expression softened as he squirmed in her arms, before she gave out a bark of laughter and hugged him close, burying her nose in his fur as he yipped again, his paws scrabbling against her shirt.

Blake felt the air cool slightly around her, as Weiss walked to stand beside her. Weiss' cheeks were red, her having clearly realized they'd all seen her, but she didn't speak at first. Blake glanced over to see Weiss' expression having gone stone faced. Weiss coughed slightly, before speaking, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yang," was her only statement, the word clipped as she looked at the blonde woman before her. Yang raised her head up slightly, letting slightly watery eyes meet Weiss'. Blake noted how Pyrrha had shifted her weight slightly, hand down at her side, ready to move if she had to. Nora had taken a step back, leaning against the wall behind her but carefully watching. Blake took a deep breath, worried, but waiting patiently to see where this went.

Yang set Zwei down softly, straightening up and looking down at Weiss, but keeping her arms at her side. "Weiss," was her only reply.

"We. We nee-We need to talk. At some point. Before we…before we leave. Is that agreeable for you?" Weiss managed to stutter out, eyes narrowed at Yang.

Yang nodded slowly. "Yeah. We can talk."

Blake let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't peace, but at least it wasn't another homicide attempt. For now, at least.

"Hey!" came a call from far away. The group turned to see Jaune limping towards them, waving his prosthetic in the air to get their attention. Pyrrha immediately flew to his side, offering him support that he smiled and softly turned down. He turned away from Pyrrha to look at Blake. "Ozpin's back. He wanted to see you three. You guys up for it?"

Blake glanced between Yang and Weiss. "It's up to you," she said.

Yang shrugged. "Yeah, I'll go."

Weiss took a deep, steadying breath, closing her eyes in concentration for a moment, before nodding hesitantly. "Ok."

Blake turned back to Jaune. "Thanks for letting us know, Jaune. Follow me."

* * *

Blake's shoulders were hunched over at this point, the stress palpable. Yang was clearly nervous, shuffling off to the side and fiddling with strands of her hair, while Weiss was twitching slightly every time Yang moved, her eyes darting back and forth. But at least they'd held it together long enough for Blake to be before the door that led to the Reclamation landing pad. She was worried how Weiss would react to see it. Nora had given her the rundown on their conversation last evening. Pyrrha had pulled Blake aside and let her knew she hadn't told Yang about it, so Blake had made sure to whisper a quick explanation to Yang before they made it to the door.

She took a deep breath, and opened the door, the midday sun shining down into the bright hallway they had been walking through, revealing the massive form of an Atlesian Dreadnaught resting upon its landing gear. In bold, bright letters, the name 'Reclamation' was scribed on its side, stretching across its hull so anyone could see it. Below it, was a symbol, an emblem they were all very familiar with…the Schnee Crest. Weiss gasped, holding her hand up to her mouth as her eyes watered. She blinked rapidly, frozen in place as she stared at the crest, trembling slightly.

"We added the crest after we discovered who left the Reclamation," came a voice from the right of the trio, causing them to turn to see Ozpin, leaning heavily on his cane as he smiled softly at them. He nodded to Blake. "I see you've found them. Welcome back, Miss Schnee, Miss Xiao Long."

"Hey, Headmaster," Yang said, giving a small half wave as she kept glancing back towards the nearby dreadnaught.

Weiss gulped, biting her lip lightly before she finally tore her eyes away from the ship to glance at Ozpin. She straightened, curtseying slightly, as she nodded at him.

Ozpin nodded in return. "I'm not your headmaster anymore, Yang. But, allow me to welcome you to the Reclamation Project. I'll skip the flowery speech and give it to you plainly. We will rebuild Atlas, and then Vale. For that to work, we need every available hunter and soldier out there. Mistral and Vacuo have lent us as much aid as they can, but the Grimm have grown exceedingly bold thanks to the Fall and the impact it had on the emotions of all people around the world. Now, before you ask, no, I did not ask Blake to return you to make you work for me. I leave that choice up to you, after you've found your team leader. I just came to greet you, and inform you that we've set aside a Bullhead to take you directly to the capital of Vacuo, so you may begin your search."

Blake smiled. "Thanks, Ozpin. I was hoping to leave tonight, if…if that's ok with you two?" she asked hesitantly, turning to the other two.

Yang shrugged. "Me and Weiss have to have our talk, but I'm cool with leaving tonight. As long as we're properly supplied, that is."

Blake's shoulders fell as the implication of Yang's remark hit her, but she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying something that might set Yang off.

"I-I'll be ready. If we're going to find R-Ruby, the sooner, the b-better," Weiss remarked, stuttering slightly."

"Very well. I'll see to it that everything is prepared for you." Ozpin bowed, and turned to leave, but Yang's voice stopped him.

"Wait!" she called out, causing him to turn back to face her. He glanced curiously at her as she took a deep breath, before her face hardened and her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I know you know the answer to this question, and I need to know the truth. How many?"

Ozpin arched an eyebrow at her. "How many what?"

"…how many people died in Vale and in Atlas?" Yang whispered, her shoulder's shaking slightly as she stared into Ozpin's eyes.

Blake's eyes widened, as she took a step forward, intending on trying to interrupt Yang's questioning. Ozpin held up a hand to stop her motion, sighing deeply, before speaking in a clinical tone.

"As of last count, we confirmed over two hundred thousand perished in Vale between the beginning of the war and the final days before we abandoned Vale entirely. Another hundred thousand or so attempted to run for Mistral, as the nearest safe kingdom. However, the vast majority died either from exposure, Grimm, or simple exhaustion. Mistral sent out multiple hunter teams to attempt to guide people towards their borders. This was a mistake, as many teams tried to take on too much at once and also died. Confirmed death toll of all hunter's that died in a manner associated with the Fall of Vale is eighty eight. Confirmed refugees who escaped to Mistral or Atlas is ninety seven thousand, three hundred and nineteen."

Ozpin closed his eyes as he continued to recount, leaning heavily on his cane at his side. "Confirmed death toll from the Fall of Atlas is well over four hundred thousand, with one hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty seven refugees who escaped the Fall. Many of those who died in Atlas were refugees from Vale. Atlesian military personnel who survived number in less than one hundred. An additional one hundred and twenty three hunters also died in the Fall."

Yang clenched her eyes shut, her head dropping to the ground as she slumped. Blake had known the numbers, but hearing them again was still like a stab to the heart, another reminder of all that had been lost. Weiss looked away from them all, wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing.

"Now my question for you, Yang. How many?" Ozpin asked, his gaze shrewd as he stared steadily at Yang.

Yang sighed, not bothering to look up. "How many what?"

"How many people did you watch die?"

Yang snapped her head up to look at Ozpin, shock written on her face. "W-what makes you think I know?"

Ozpin gave a humorless chuckle. "Because I know. Because Blake knows. Because all of JNPR knows. Every hunter who was part of either of the Fall's knows. Because every night, we go to sleep and see them again in our dreams, see them asking for help, see them ripped and torn, seen them bleeding. Because that's why Ren and Jaune can't sleep, why you and Pyrrha drink, why Weiss and Nora were lost to anger and hate. Why members of team SSSN can't make themselves return to this city, although they do everything they can from Mistral. Why Velvet of team CFVY has to take sleeping pills so she can get rest. So I ask you again, Yang. How many?"

"…four hundred and nine," Yang muttered. Ozpin turned his understanding gaze to meet Weiss' shaky one, his eyes questioning her silently.

"T-three hundred and ninety eight," Weiss said, her voice cracking.

"You were twenty one when the Fall of Vale began. Atlas was done by the time you three were twenty two. In less than a year, you watched that many people die…but I suspect that you never think about the number who survived, thanks to you three."

"What are you talking about?! You just said it, so few lived! We didn't do shit!" Yang exploded, throwing her hands out wide. "That many people died and for what? For some crazy fuckers asinine plan to…I don't even know what Cinder wanted! I still don't! I just know she died, and took hundreds of thousands of people with her for absolutely nothing! She died, my uncle died, my dad died, and I thought my sister was dead too. So many people just…died…" Yang trailed off, letting her head drop again.

"And so many lived. And are rebuilding their lives. That is what you cannot forget, Yang. We lost many, yes. But people lived. And will rebuild. That's why we will continue to survive. Maybe someday, you'll come to understand that…and maybe, just maybe, forgive yourself."

Yang looked like she wanted to argue, but she seemed to deflate, almost like her energy had run out. She just sighed and closed her eyes, muttering "Yeah, whatever."

Blake stepped forward, trying to get their attention. "I think we should go pack, for the trip. Once we get to Vacuo, we're going to be on the hunt again. We'll find Ruby…and then…well, that'll be then."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long my lovely readers, production is on fiyah and work is kicking my ass because of it. So without further ado, chapter 12!

Yang crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the cracked wall behind her. She cocked her head slightly as she looked at Weiss. "Ok, you wanted to talk, so…talk."

Weiss squared herself up, her back ramrod straight as she stared straight into Yang's eyes. "You…you hit me, Yang. You hit _me!_ "

Yang blinked at Weiss' vehemence, before running on hand through her hair and sighing. "Yes. I did. And I shouldn't have. I know that."

"Oh, you know that, huh? Eight years too late for you to figure that out!" Weiss growled, hands fisted at her side. Yang snapped her head up, looking like she wanted to speak, but Weiss cut her off. "I _trusted_ you, Yang! I told you all sorts of things, all the things I could never say to R-Ruby or to Blake! I told you about how I felt about Ruby, I told you about the nightmares I had after we found out about Blake, I told you all sorts of things I couldn't tell my own sister! You were everything in a sister I wish I had, and you _hit me!_ "

Yang was taken aback by the tears gathering in Weiss eyes, but her words were cutting enough that Yang felt some of her own heat coming back. A headache was also forming behind her eyes, the reminder she hadn't drank a drop all day slowly squirming its way back into her mind. "Oh, and I suppose that it's fine that you provoked me? I just thought my sister had died, and you started in on me with all this bullshit about it being my fault she'd ran in the first place!"

"You don't think i-it was?" Weiss shot back.

"Well, I, umm…" Yang trailed off, her frustration and anger fading as quickly as it had flared up. She looked away from Weiss guiltily, her left hand gripping her right arm. She sighed deeply. "It…it was. I should have caught her, or something. I said the wrong thing when I told her not to try to help those people. You're…you're right."

"Y-you're so _stupid_ , Yang! So s-stupid!" Weiss stuttered out, her left eye twitching. "You think I was thinking straight then?"

"…and you're thinking straight now?" Yang asked incredulously.

"S-shut up about that! That's not my point!" Weiss screeched, before pointing imperiously at Yang. "I was upset, and angry, and I said things I didn't mean! I don't think it was your fault she ran, that's not why I'm mad at you. I'm mad because your first instinct is to hit people when you're angry, even _me!_ Your teammate, your friend, your 'shopping buddy'! You…you… _you betrayed me!_ "

Yang flinched away from her screaming form. It wasn't anything she hadn't told herself, but hearing it from Weiss herself, hearing the actual pain in her broken voice…it tore at Yang's heart. She knew Weiss had been angry with her, but she hadn't expected this much rage from one punch. Ok, she couldn't lie to herself…that punch had been one of her most brutal. Weiss wasn't wrong about her temper problems, and she had truly, in that brief instant she had turned on Weiss, truly hated the white haired woman. Hated her for pointing out exactly the pain tearing at Yang's soul, at the heart stopping moment when she'd seen Ruby's cloak lying alone on the ground.

Her downcast gaze was drawn to a motion out of the corner of her eyes, seeing Weiss' hand instantly fall onto Myrtenaster. Yang's eyes widened, but before she could react the hiss of Weiss drawing the blade from her side slid into the midday air, her shoulders shaking. Yang wasn't sure how to respond. Part of her felt she deserved it…the same reason she had done nothing to defend herself the previous day when Weiss had attacked her. But part of her shied away from the idea, worried that if she got too badly injured, or even killed (who knew, with how fragmentary Weiss' mental state was?), she wouldn't be able to find Ruby. To find out where she had been, what was she doing, how she was…why she had left.

The choice wasn't Yang's to make it seemed, as Weiss' shaking stopped long enough for her to scream in rage and _spin_ in place, thrusting her blade towards the empty air behind her. Only…it wasn't empty when she thrust.

Yang had only seen Weiss summon a handful of times, back when they were in school. Weiss had never used to be able to control it, it only happening when she was in dire straits. She'd normally collapsed shortly after, so Yang had never really learned _how_ it even worked. The only time Weiss had tried to explain it, it had boiled down to Weiss saying 'They are a part of me, and I am a part of them'. She just knew that Weiss summoned things she had defeated (which was normally Grimm), and they'd go on a rampage to protect her. But this…this was _fast_. Before her thrust had even finished, a blinding flash of white light had burst from a spinning glyph on the ground, and a white and blue Beowulf was standing there…impaled by Weiss' sword.

Yang's jaw dropped as the Beowulf looked down for a moment at the blade thrust into its chest, and when its eyes lifted, Yang could see the question in its eyes. It looked forward, staring down at Weiss' currently frozen in lunge pose, and it almost looked…sad, perhaps a little betrayed. That's when Yang looked down at Weiss as well and noticed that she had her right hand clenched over her chest, right where…

It rammed into Yang like a freight train, all the pieces falling into place. Weiss had always collapsed, not because she was exhausted, but because she _felt_ what the summons felt. Because the link between them, the connection Weiss had referred to in the past, meant that the two of them were _one_. And right now, her summon had a blade rammed clean through its glowing white chest, and Weiss was clenching her own, panting heavily, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Yang didn't realize she'd moved, but she suddenly found herself with an armful of struggling woman, pulling her away from the summoned Beowulf. She quickly lunged out and gripped Myrtenaster, ripping it from inside the Beowulf and tossing it to the ground and she tried to yank the now shrieking Weiss away from it. The summoned Beowulf snarled at Yang and took a shaky step forward, reaching out as though it wanted to try to pull Weiss away from her.

A small part of Yang's mind marveled at the sheer loyalty it had towards Weiss, that even after she'd impaled it with her blade, it was trying to protect her. The larger part was more concerned with getting Weiss to calm down, especially her racing heartrate. With her arms locked around Weiss' chest, Yang could feel her heart thudding against her ribcage, could feel how Weiss kept cringing, probably from the pain still transmitting from the Beowulf.

Yang kept slowly pulling her back, reaching down inside herself for a memory she'd long since buried, a memory from a time shortly after Summer had passed. A night where Ruby had woken from a nightmare and had been out of control, screaming and sobbing and desperately lashing out. The first night Yang had leapt to her duty as her big sister and wrapped her in her arms, ignoring the bruising fists being flung about and the kicks landing on her shins as she had done nothing but held Ruby, whispering calmly into her ears, humming nonsense songs until Ruby relaxed.

She found herself doing the same now, trying to bring Weiss down from her loss of control. The part of her that remained ever the big sister, something she'd thought had been buried eight years ago, had roared back with a vengeance, taking over her actions entirely. She didn't feel the pain of Weiss' bitter attempts to kick her, didn't feel a single iota of fear even as the Beowulf took another shaky step forward, claws extended and snarling at her. She only felt worry for Weiss, even as her mind noted how fragile the other woman felt in her arms.

Weiss had always been slender, but she could feel Weiss' ribs nearly poking out from her sides, making Yang realize Weiss hadn't been eating properly for years. She could feel the shakiness in her as she struggled, and it tore at her inside even more when she recognized how feeble the attempts were. She remembered the things Pyrrha had said, about how they had found Weiss, found her doing nothing but fighting Grimm. But more importantly, her mind began to connect the dots from the stories Ren had passed to Pyrrha.

Weiss hadn't been the one doing the fighting, her summons were. Summons consumed part of her Aura, survived specifically by feeding off Weiss' energy. If all Weiss had been doing for years was summoning and using them to fight, while also not taking proper care of herself (not that Yang should judge, she mused ruefully to herself), it could easily explain why Weiss felt so weak. Yang was no doctor, but she'd put any money…or even her precious alcohol, on Weiss being on the verge of collapse.

Her predictions were entirely accurate, as only moments later Weiss seemed to lose all of her rage and energy and slumped bonelessly in Yang's arms. The Beowulf that had been approaching paused, before letting out a deep sigh as the faint white glow that surrounded it began to flare brightly, tiny specks breaking off of it. It disintegrated into the air slowly, the spiraling glyph that had been below it cracking, before it shattered and disappeared into the sky.

Yang adjusted her hold to cradle Weiss more carefully, lifting her up into her arms and trying to make her more comfortable. Weiss' head tilted back as she glanced up at Yang, nothing but exhaustion in her eyes. "I'm…I'm still mad at you," she managed to mutter, before her head slumped back down.

Yang nodded. "I know, Weiss. I'm sorry for hitting you. I really am."

Weiss slowly lifted one hand up, fist loosely clenched, before tapping it against Yang's cheek. "There. Now we're even, dunce."

Yang blinked rapidly, flabbergasted. She shook her head quickly. "We're even just because you did _that_? After that massive screaming bitch fit you just threw?"

Weiss glared halfheartedly up at Yang. "S-shut up. You're still a stupid blonde oaf. Just…let's go back. We have to pack."

Yang's jaw remained dropped, before she finally sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine! But you're not packing anything until you _eat_ something! Can't have you passing out while we're hunting, can we?"

Weiss just grumbled something under her breath, before she began to slowly try to steady herself so she could stand on her own. Yang let her go, but kept her arms reach to catch her if she fell. Weiss stumbled for a brief moment, leading Yang to step forward worriedly, but the shorter woman managed to reset herself in time and pulled herself up. She took a shaky step forward, before continuing on slowly as Yang paced her. She sighed, turning to Yang and giving her a half-hearted glare. "I'm not going to break, Yang. Let's just…let's go find Blake."

"Alright," Yang responded carefully. "But will you please eat something before we leave?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Yang, before poking the taller woman in the stomach. Yang sucked in a breath, not expecting the reaction. "I will if you will. And whiskey doesn't count."

Yang arched an eyebrow. "…what about wine?"

Weiss' eye twitched, before she poked Yang again. "Shut up. You know what I meant."

"Yeah Weiss. I know what you meant."

* * *

Blake's eyes raked over the two of them, carefully examining them for any injuries. Yang casually waved her off, Weiss refusing to meet her eyes as Blake took a deep breath. "Well, all the bags you gave me are packed in the Bullhead. And…Yang?" Yang cocked her head to the side, a questioning look in her eyes. "Pyrrha had to go on another mission, but…she asked me to give this to you. Said it would be easier to carry, and not to waste it." Blake slowly held out her hand, Yang instinctively reaching out to grab what she presented.

Yang felt cool, smooth metal before she glanced down, freezing with her hand still outstretched. In her hands rested a smooth, metal flask, a complex wing with a gear motif in the center of it engraved on the flask. Her hand shook as she stared at it, her breath coming out in short sharp pants. "B-Blake? Is…is this…"

Blake swallowed nervously, as she began speaking rapidly. "Yes. We've run a couple missions into Vale. Pyrrha found it a few years back, when we…when we found…well, where the last airship left Vale. We…we have a few more things we found, things the Grimm…didn't want. We've been keeping them for you and Ruby. But Pyrrha thought you should have that, and that…maybe it could you know, help with the cravings."

Yang just stared down at the flask in her hand, her thumb absently rubbing over the engraving on it. She let out a quiet half chuckle, before sniffling and wiping at her nose with her free hand. "Dust. He'd be so ashamed of me now. He always told me not to become like him, and what the hell did I do? I became a fucking drunk, just like him. He called me firecracker when I was little. I totally forgot that. He used to call me firecracker. He was such an asshole, but…he was my uncle. And he saved me. So many times. I used to tell him one day I'd be the one swooping in and rescuing him, when he was old and gray. Fucker just had to get the last laugh, didn't he? Couldn't let me save him, not once." Yang glanced out into the distance, staring over the horizon before them.

"My dad…had to be my daddy once more. Just had to save the day. At least he's with Summer now, I guess. I just wish I got to say goodbye, you know? And can't Glynda…most badass professor ever. Gave herself for us."

Blake reached out, placing her hand on Yang's shoulder and squeezing it slightly. Yang didn't seem to notice, lifting watery eyes to look up to the sky. She lifted the flask and flipped the top off, holding it up. "Here's to all of you. I miss you." She took a small sip, shuddering slightly as she tried to control her urge to down the whole flask, just letting a small bit of the smooth whiskey Pyrrha had put inside the flask roll down her throat.

Weiss took a step forward, arms clasped before her as she looked at Yang. "May…may I? In…in their memory." Yang glanced down at her, before nodding, passing the flask to Weiss' shaking hands. Weiss held it in both of her hands for a moment, bowing her head as she whispered something to herself, before she lifted it up to the sky and took a sip like Yang did. She turned to Blake, glancing at Yang first for permission, before offering it to her.

Blake took it gingerly. She'd never been a fan of alcohol, but…this once. For them. They hadn't even been related to her at all, but Weiss had told her long ago how Taiyang had ruffled her hair as though she were one of his daughters too. He'd never made her or Weiss feel unwelcome, and though Qrow had often rubbed Weiss the wrong way, she noticed how he still did everything he could to help them through the years. Glynda, strict as she came off as, was incredibly protective of her students. Time and time again during the Fall she had stepped in front of them, protecting them even if it put her in mortal danger. Anyone, really. Glynda was what Blake had come to idolize in a true Huntress, powerful, protective, and caring. With that reminder, she lifted the flask to the sky as Yang had done, taking her own sip. She capped the flask and handed it back to Yang, who stowed it her pocket.

"I think…it's time we got going," Blake managed to struggle to say, gulping slightly as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from the memories that had flown through her mind. Yang gave her a watery smile before nodding. Weiss kept her head down, her hair covering her face enough that Blake couldn't see the tears, but she could hear Weiss' quiet sniffles. Weiss nodded in Blake's direction, letting her lead the way to the airship.

* * *

Blake had just opened the door on the side of the Bullhead, the pilot already in her seat and prepping the engines, when a loud ' _Blake!_ ' sounded from behind her. Turning about, she saw Lily rushing towards her, arms out wide and a big smile plastered on her face as she practically flew through the air. She slammed into Blake with force, making Blake totter backwards for a moment as she automatically wrapped her arms around Lily to stabilize her. Yang's jaw dropped.

"Um…who is this?" Weiss asked, her normal composure having somewhat come back during the quick meal they had had and the walk to the airship.

Lily turned her head and smiled widely at Weiss. "I'm Lily! You must be Weiss!" Lily turned her gaze to Yang's and her smile grew wider. "And you must be Yang! Blake talks about you guys a lot! Wow, Blake's right, you guys _are_ really pretty!"

Weiss flushed, turning her head away from the little girl's gaze as Yang coughed in surprise. Blake ducked her head to the side, cheeks burning as she avoided Yang's curious gaze, but had to look down when Lily wriggled out of her arms and ran to Yang's side. Lily tilted her head to the side as she looked up at Yang, and something in her eyes _shifted_ as Yang's lilac ones met Lily's blue ones. Yang suddenly felt exposed as Lily's eyes seemed to go unfathomably deep, before Lily spoke in a quiet tone. "You shouldn't be so scared. It'll all be ok. You won't run away again."

Yang's jaw dropped once more, but before she could respond Lily had slid over to Weiss' side, reaching up and grabbing Weiss' hand, making Weiss look down at her. Lily smiled softly. "You're just like Miss Nora! But you know what that means, it means you're super strong inside and will be just fine! I'm sure of it!" Weiss' eyes went wide, breath catching in her throat as Lily dashed back to stand before Blake.  
"I gotta go Blake, but I wanted to see you before you left. I hope when you come back you have your friend Ruby with you too! Then you'll be a family again, just like you wanted! Bye Blake, see you when you get back!" Lily waved before dashing off at the speed only a little child could run at, leaving two flabbergasted women and one sighing one.

"She does that to everyone. As for who she is, it's…complicated. I'll explain on the jet." Blake glanced around for a moment, eyes narrowed, before she snapped her fingers as though something had just hit her. "Zwei! Zwei, come here boy, we're going to find Ruby!"

The scrabbling of paws on concrete sounded as Zwei came barreling out from under the Bullhead, skidding to a stop at Blake's feet and cocking his head to the side as he panted at her. She rolled her eyes in response. "Yes, yes, I get it. You've been waiting on us. Up you go, fleabag." Zwei barked at her playful insult, head-butting her leg for a moment before hopping up into the airship.

Yang shook off her shock and stepped up after him, taking a seat along the wall opposite the door. She reached down under the seat and lifted up her bag, pulling out a rolled up ball of red fabric and holding it in her lap. Zwei sniffed at the air for a moment, before his eyes went wide and he leapt onto the seat next to Yang, sniffing at the cloak deeply for a moment. He lifted his eyes to meet Yang's, who nodded to him. He gave a small huff before clambering up into Yang's lap, nudging the ball of fabric over so he could lay on one half of her lap as the ball lay on the other. He curled into her lap and closed his eyes, nuzzling his head into her abdomen as she gazed down softly at him.

Weiss took the seat beside Yang, glancing down at Zwei, her lip quivering slightly. Yang rolled her eyes before grabbing Weiss' hand and putting it on top of Zwei, giving her a sidelong glance so she realized it was ok. Weiss began softly petting the already snoring dog, a genuine smile creeping onto her face. Blake could only smile at the three of them, before her mission snuck into her mind again. She took a deep breath, stepping into the airship and closing the door behind her, giving the pilot the all clear. As the ship rose into the air, she focused her mind ahead, ready to begin the most important hunt she'd ever gone on.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this one up much quicker eh? Still sticking to the very slow, very methodical approach, but hey, you all learn where Lily is from! Although I think most of you figured it out already. Anyways, hope you all enjoy!

Blake couldn't help but smile. Weiss and Yang weren't perfect, but they were here, with her. On their way to find Ruby. And they just looked so adorable right now. Blake was used to long airship rides, and far too hyped up to sleep yet, but those two had had a few emotionally draining days, and it showed. Yang had her head tilted back against the wall, mouth slightly open as an occasional soft snore came from her. Zwei remained curled in Yang's lap, silent save for the tiniest of breaths that Blake was certain only she could pick up on. Weiss' head had leaned to the side, resting on Yang's shoulder as she slept. Her shoulders rose and fell in a calming pattern, making Blake close her eyes and rest her head against the wall behind her with a soft smile on her face.

 _'Finally…something went right_ ,' she thought to herself. Something inside her that had been clenched tight for years was slowly loosening. It felt like the fist squeezed around her heart and lungs had slowly begun to let go, letting her breathe easier for the first time in nearly a decade. Things weren't perfect, not at all. Blake was still worried about how Weiss would do if Grimm were around, much less how they were even going to get Ruby to come back.

Blake wasn't a fool. Ruby had been spending the past eight years hunting. Hunting Grimm takes a different set of skills from hunting Humans or Faunus, but it remained an intensely physical and mental process that required someone be in perfect balance. And from what Blake had heard from the local legends, Ruby was not just a huntress, but _the_ Huntress. She was the best that Vacuo had seen…and Vacuo had seen many over the years. Vacuo didn't have the natural barriers Vale did, the massive military Atlas did, or the chokepoint Mistral had at its entrance that blocked all but flying Grimm from easily entering. Vacuo was a sprawling kingdom, the largest in landmass, but smallest in population of the four, and therefore had much, much more Grimm attacks.

Ruby had stayed in practice, stayed in shape. Sure, Weiss and Yang had been fighting Grimm, but on their own terms, in their own small areas they had carved out. Blake knew she could _find_ Ruby…hunting people was something she had become excellent at. Both to capture and to rescue, no one was as good at following the signs as she was. She was confident in her ability to track Ruby down. It was keeping Ruby there she wasn't as confident in. Ruby had to have known about the Reclamation Project…she couldn't have avoided hearing about it. So she knew Atlas was being rebuilt, but she didn't come back.

And unlike Weiss and Yang, Ruby was full aware her team was still alive when she left. She'd disappeared, but the day she did, as far as Ruby knew the other three were alive. Yet in eight years, _eight fucking years_ , she'd never tried to contact any of them. Blake clenched her fist tightly…she missed Ruby, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't incredibly angry at her. Her disappearance had utterly _killed_ Yang and Weiss inside. She could still see it in their eyes, even today…the thought of Ruby being alive gave them hope, but both were cautious of the belief, even with the evidence Blake had shown.

Seeing how Weiss and Yang truly were deep down had hit Blake right in her stomach. Nora had been right…she'd been surrounded by family this entire time, but she'd dismissed them for a shot at what she thought she really wanted, and it was nothing like what she'd expected. Yang wasn't a lost cause, she'd sobered up a little and cleaned up well. But for all Blake's silent disapproval, Pyrrha still was drinking…what hope did she have to stop Yang?

And Weiss was damaged. Perhaps beyond repair. She'd kept her temper in check for the past two days, but Blake remembered how every time they let their guard down, Nora would lose it. It might take weeks, hell once Nora went three months, but she'd lose it. And Weiss might just be worse than Nora was. Nora you could at least disarm. Weiss didn't need Myrtenaster to summon, and with the rather impressive number of Grimm their team had slain over the years, Blake was fairly certain Weiss could summon some incredibly dangerous enemies.

But it was her clear obsession with Ruby that Blake was worried about. She'd known that Weiss had felt something more than simple affection for Ruby for a long time. Back when they were in Beacon, Ruby had decided that the team needed to bond more often, and so had demanded each possible pair group up and do something together at least once a month, preferably every week. And that's how Tuesday Tea became a thing between Weiss and Blake. Every Tuesday, after classes let out, the two of them would saunter down to their favorite tea place and have a nice relaxing cup together while talking about their day. And during those times, they'd talk. They'd talk about their families, about their childhoods, and their running competition of 'Eye rolls caused by Yang and Ruby' (Blake had been winning that for years, since Weiss' reaction to most of Ruby's insanity was yelling. This gave Blake an advantage).

Weiss had never said it out loud, but Blake was fairly confident in her ability to read Weiss. A lot of people felt her cold exterior made her difficult to read, but it was the opposite when it came to Ruby. Weiss couldn't hide her feelings for Ruby any worse than if she carried a neon sign around announcing it to the world. She'd look away and fiddle with her clothing or hair every time Ruby's name was mentioned, and any hint at romantic feelings made the heiress blush…and blushing was _very_ visible on her pale skin.

Not that Ruby ever noticed. Her attention to romantic detail was pretty much nil. Which always confused Blake…Ruby read Blake's romance novels all the time during their bonding time, where they would lounge about, read books, and share snacks. They didn't talk much during those times, but the air between them was always incredibly comfortable. It just felt _right_ when they read together. But with all those books Ruby read as she munched on her strawberries and cookies, you'd think she'd catch the hints Weiss was accidently leaving about (and the ones Blake and Yang were very much on purpose throwing out.)

Dust, Blake missed those days so much. She tapped the back of her head against the wall behind her, sighing deeply as she contemplated it. Time seemed so much simpler back then, so much easier to handle. Her life was on course finally. She'd made amazing friends, had a bright future ahead of herself, and actually got to make a real difference in the world. Team RWBY had been on track to becoming Beacon's number one graduate (with JNPR a close second), and it was all thanks to the amazing bonds the four of them had formed.

Blake's lip twitched as she opened one eye and glanced over at the sleeping Yang, taking in her sleeping visage. Yang wasn't just her partner back then. What they had…well, Blake never was sure what exactly they had, but it was something more than friendship. Friendship didn't make Blake's heart skip a beat every time those lilac eyes full of fun met with hers. Friendship didn't mean Blake was tempted to bury her nose in Yang's hair and take a deep breath. Friendship didn't explain why Blake had trouble breathing whenever she caught Yang training in the gym, wearing her signature _short_ shorts and a sports bra as she trained.

She just wasn't sure where they stood now though. It had been eight years after all. For Blake, the time had passed so quickly. Being as busy as she was it made sense she supposed, but on some level she felt like it had moved too fast. Eight years had flown by, and she was now _thirty_. Sure, that wasn't that old, but she felt old. Years of wondering where her friends had gone, where her family was, worried for their safety, for their health…worried if any of them still lived. Every time JNPR left on a mission, she was terrified she'd lose all that she had left.

Now she had two of them back, and it terrified her even more. What if she couldn't help Weiss? What if she drove Yang away again? What if they couldn't find Ruby? What if one of them got hurt? Dust, Blake couldn't bear to think about it. So many what ifs, and no answers. She knew, intellectually, that life never came with a guarantee. No promise that it would all work. But she could _not_ survive if she lost them a second time. She barely made it through the first time, throwing herself into her work.

Maybe she was being melodramatic. But sitting here, staring at two of the women she'd come to love as deeply as she'd ever loved before, watching them sleep peacefully for what she imagined was the first time in years, she felt her heart ache at the thought of them not being there. Even now, part of her was worried she made all of it up. That they weren't here before her, that she'd finally cracked and lost her mind. Part of her worried so much, she didn't even notice she'd reached out until she felt her hand touch Yang's hand.

She sucked in a harsh breath as she realized what she'd done, her fingers pressing feather-light against Yang's slackened wrist. Yang made no move at all, her head still tilted back as she slept on. Blake stared at Yang's arm, almost as if in a trance, letting her hand slowly slide down to rest against Yang's loosely clenched hand. She lay her hand flat over Yang's, wanting to feel that warmth, that pulse of life that proved Yang was here, next to her, truly and fully _real_.

Blake didn't know how long she sat there, barely touching Yang, before she noticed Yang make a grumbling noise. Retracting her hand quickly, she looked up just in time to see Yang give a jaw cracking yawn, lifting her arms up slightly as she rolled her neck. The motion seemed to trigger something in Weiss, the shorter woman shooting upright, her eyes darting about wildly as she seemed to instantly be alert for some form of attack.

Weiss shook her head quickly, as though to clear out the cobwebs that sleep had brought upon her senses, her eyes clearing up as she seemed to recognize where she was. Yang shook out her arms, yawning again, before blinking sleepy eyes open at Blake. She smiled sleepily.

"How long was I out?" Yang asked. Weiss leaned forward in her seat so she could peer around Yang at Blake, the same question in her eyes.

Blake shrugged. "Seven or eight hours, give or take."

"How long is the trip?" Weiss asked, her voice calm for the moment. It seemed like the full nights rest had done her good, her voice and eyes clear.

"Maybe twenty hours? Let me check. Raine, how much longer do you think?" Blake called forward towards the cabin, raising her voice slightly.

A throaty feminine voice replied. "We have another ten to go. We're making good time, the winds on our side this time. Don't worry about a thing, I'll get you there. Wouldn't be the first time."

Yang blinked, confused. She turned to face the cabin, glancing in to see the figure seated by the controls. "We've flown with you before?"

Blake winced as Raine turned enough in her seat to glance back at Yang, chocolate brown eyes meeting lilac. "Eight years ago. I suppose you wouldn't remember, you weren't in great condition."

Yang froze for a moment, before her voice dropped down to a whisper. "You flew us out of Vale."

It wasn't a question, but Raine answered it as though it was. "Yes. I delivered you to Atlas, like your father and uncle asked me to. I stuck around after dropping you off, figured I could be of more use in Atlas than heading to Vacuo or Mistral. Long story short, Ozpin asked me to join his project pretty much as soon as he started it. There weren't a lot of good pilots left after the Fall."

Weiss sunk back in her chair, her arms tightly hugging herself around her midsection, eyes downcast. Yang gulped, before letting out a deep sigh. "Thanks. For flying us out, that is."

"Don't mention it. You just relax. I'll get you to Vacuo, and I'll be waiting to fly you back whenever you find that sister of yours. If you want, you can put on some music or get some juice or water out of the fridge."

Yang shook her head no, although Raine couldn't see it, having turned back to face the front. "Maybe later. But thanks."

Raine shrugged, eyes scanning over her instrumentation. "No problem." Conversation petered off after that moment, Raine humming to herself as she put her full concentration on the flight.

Weiss sat up, leaning forward once again to look at Blake. She took a deep breath, before speaking softly. "Blake?" Blake glanced over curiously at Weiss, having felt a little bit guilty for not warning them who Raine was before they left. Weiss gulped, before asking quietly. "Who _is_ Lily?"

"Ah," Blake hedged, noticing that Yang had just given her full attention as well. She sighed deeply. "Lily is the reason Ruby left."

Yang rocked her head back in shock, as Weiss stared at Blake open-mouthed for a moment, before shaking her head in negation. "She can't have been older than a year when the Fall happened. How is she responsible?"

"I said she's the reason, not that she was responsible," Blake replied. Glancing over at the two women beside her, she realized that wouldn't suffice and sighed again. "Shortly after everything…happened…we were trying to round up all the refugees and find placed for them to stay while we figured out what we were going to do. A young nurse was a bit frantic, unsure what to do. He had a small baby in his arms and no idea where to take her. At first, we didn't pay him much mind. His story was…distressingly common at this point."

Blake leaned her head back, looking up at the ceiling, eyes looking far away, beyond the airship's walls. "It wasn't until he said something about a young woman in a red cloak I paid attention." Blake took no small note of how both Yang and Weiss were now giving her their full attention, Yang's eyes narrowed as Weiss' were wide and pleading. "He told us that she'd blurred up to him in a flurry of rose petals, left the child, and then dashed off without saying a word. A few seconds later, he'd heard the thunderous crash of a building falling."

Blake looked down to meet Yang and Weiss' eyes before she continued. "The building that fell was the one Ruby's cloak lay, before Yang left with it. After the fires subsided, Ren and I tried to excavate the building. We found a young couple, burnt beyond recognition and partially crushed by the rubble, holding each other even in their final moments. It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened, especially when the child's aunt was found."

Blake lowered her head and her voice, barely audible above the humming of the airship. "Her aunt, Aster, told us that Lily was her brother and sister-in-law's child. They lived in that building that fell. The building opposite it had marks that were clearly made by Ruby's scythe, when she did that crazy wall hanging thing she liked to do. Far as we can tell, she tried to save the couple, and they told her to save the child first and come back for them. At least, Aster is certain that's what they would say. I guess…I guess Ruby just couldn't do it again. I suspect she watched the building fall. You know how she was, every death was always her fault, always her responsibility. Even if it was impossible, she _should_ have figured something out, or something stupid like that."

"…sounds like her," Yang replied somberly, closing her eyes. Weiss bit her lip, before nodding harshly. Yang's countenance softened for a moment, before it suddenly reversed. With a loud snarl, Yang slammed her hand into the wall behind her, making Blake and Weiss jump suddenly. " _Damn your stupid hero complex Ruby!_ " Yang growled out, eyes flaring red for the briefest of moments. Her anger seemed to fade as quickly as it broke out, a loud sigh coming from her as she slumped down in her seat. Blake left the conversation alone at that point, letting silence fill the airship. Yang closed her eyes and leaned back, one hand squeezing the red bundle still in her lap. Weiss glanced down at Zwei, his eyes opening to slits as he grumbled half-heartedly at Yang for disturbing his nap. Yang rolled her eyes, before picking Zwei up and dumping him in Weiss' lap.

"Oh, just take him Weiss. He'll be just as content in your lap as mine."

Weiss squeaked, the undignified sound causing Yang to barely bite back a snort of laughter. Blake hid her smile behind a hand as Weiss flushed, before the white-haired woman lifted her head proudly. She began stroking Zwei softly, a tiny smile flitting onto her face for a moment as she focused her attention on the happily squirming dog in her lap.

Blake lifted up the book she'd left sitting on the seat beside her, cracking it open and about to read it when she sat up straight in her chair, cheeks flushing slightly. The cause was due to a certain Yang deciding to lean her head on Blake's shoulder, her soft blonde locks cushioning her as she relaxed slightly. Blake gulped, before speaking in what she hoped was a steady voice. "Can I help you?"

"You already are," came Yang's quiet reply, making Blake instantly shut up. She bit her tongue, not wanting anything else to slip out, as this didn't seem like the time or the place. She felt Yang squirm slightly as she made herself comfortable, before letting herself relax. Picking up the book, she flipped to her bookmarked page and began reading, letting the warmth of Yang beside her and the quiet giggles of the occupied Weiss lull her into complacency…just a brief moment of peace for the three of them once more.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to say, spoiler alert! They still haven't found Ruby! Something awaits them, in Vacuo first...I hope you enjoy the latest installment!

Exiting the airship was a blast of heat unlike anything Yang had experienced, outside her own semblance. Even under the shade of the wing, it was scorching, hot enough to melt her flesh clean off her bones. At least it was a dry heat, she mused. But beyond the heat, the entire city felt like a riot of colors and sounds and smells, ones she hadn't been remotely prepared for. Vale was known for using rather few colors…blues, greens, etc. Atlas was muted, almost entirely in shades of white and gray. But Vacuo, Vacuo was an explosion of colors from the entire rainbow.

Banners flew everywhere, as barkers shouted from stalls to grab people's attention. The mix of incense and food created a heavy and seductive scent on the air, drawing people towards the awnings of many a shop. Even as Blake led the two of them unerringly through the city, Yang couldn't help but be awed by how lively Vacuo was. After everything she'd been told about its isolation and vast planes of nothing but sand, the capital city was nothing like she had ever pictured.

Blake turned to Zwei as they left the airship. "Zwei, stay back with the ship would you? Keep our supplies safe?" Zwei gave a small bark of agreement, before hopping back into the ship and curling up in one of the chairs. Blake gestured for Yang and Weiss to follow her, entering the city proper.

The city was built in tiers, each one higher than the next, built into a massive cliff wall that made up the backbone of the capital. A roaring waterfall, its great flood of liquid rushing down into a massive reservoir, was the lifeblood of the city and the reason it had been built where it was. She could see the sparkle of droplets coming down from the highest tier of the city, sometimes giving a fleeting rainbow as the sun shattered across the droplets before it disappeared once more.

It wasn't until she ran into Blake that she realized they had stopped. Blake jolted forward a moment, before turning to give Yang a sidelong glare for running into her. Yang smiled sheepishly, running one hand through her hair as she looked to the side. Blake rolled her eyes, pointing towards an awning right before them, leading into some stone building with an open archway.

"This is where we'll begin. The shopkeeper here is the one who told me of the Grimm Reaper, he may have some more news for us."

No sooner had Blake finished that sentence before a great cry came from within the shop, a tall, dark skinned man rushing out, a wide smile across his face. He grabbed Blake's hand in his hands and shook it enthusiastically. "Miss Bella! So good to see you! I have wonderful news about the Reaper!"

Weiss shoved past Yang to stand before the man, eying him up and down before speaking quickly. "What news?"

He turned to Weiss and bowed abruptly, one hand across his abdomen, the other behind his back. "Ah, another lovely lady traveling with Miss Bella. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sarkans! I am responsible for verifying all trader contents and handling incoming visitors to the city. As for the Reaper, she was _here_! In the city!"

Yang perked up, eyes flashing for a moment as she asked with urgency. "When? When was she here?"

"Only four days ago! She was protecting one of the largest caravan's we have. Apparently, the caravan master insisted she come into the city and rest for a night before she left. I met her for but a moment!" he replied, a proud smile on his open face.

Blake quickly fumbled with her Scroll, flipping it open to a picture, one taken nine years ago at their graduation party from Beacon. She spun it about and held it up before Sarkans, pointing in the center where Ruby stood, a goofy grin on her face as she made a peace sign with her left hand, the other three members of team RWBY crowded around her in the picture. "Is this who you saw?"

Sarkans rubbed his chin as he peered closely at the photo. "Hmm, perhaps. She was…older. More, how you say…sad? She looked much sadder. But her eyes, they were this same shade. I thought it an unusual shade, I have never seen silver eyes before. Oh! And she had a scar, across her face! It went from her nose down to her chin! Does that sound like the woman you seek?"

Blake turned excitedly to Yang and Weiss, her grin stretching from ear to ear. It faded slightly as she saw how Weiss had gone pale, moreso than usual, while Yang had one fist clenched at her side. She shook her head, trying to keep her smile going as she spoke. "You see? It _is_ her!"

"Fine, so it is her…but where did she go?!" Yang demanded.

"From what little she said, I believe she plans on patrolling the caravan path. Ophi, the caravan master, said they had a close call with a pack of Sandworms on the path. I believe the Reaper plans on making sure they do not stray towards the path again. I was unsure how she would accomplish that alone…Ophi said there were at least five Sandworms. But, the Reaper has never let us down yet!" Sarkans smiled again.

"Where can we find Ophi?" Blake asked urgently.

Sarkans paused, looking up at the sky contemplatively for a moment. His eyes lit up as he remembered. "Ah, yes! She and her people are staying just down the street for now! Let me go get you a city map! It can be confusing for those who have arrived." He turned back to step inside, rummaging around in a desk as he continued to speak to the trio. "But please, feel free to ask for directions. We are a sociable people, and enjoy meeting those from strange lands. You are…you are from Vale, yes?" His chipper tone dropped as he spoke of Vale, a more somber air coming over it.

Blake gulped, refusing to look over at Weiss and Yang before answering. "…yes. We are."

"I thought so. The Reaper is as well, isn't she? You clearly know her. Is she a friend of yours?"

"She's my sister. And our team leader," Yang replied, glancing away as Sarkans came back out, a folded up map in hand.

"Ah, I see. Yet, you seek her out? No, no, do not answer that. That is rude of me to ask. I should not pry. Here, on this map where I have marked it, Ophi will be for the next few days. You may ask her for more details. I wish you well in your search." He held out the map to Blake, his smile seeming more strained as he took in the three clearly uncomfortable women.

Blake took it carefully from his hand before bowing low before him. "Thank you for your help, Sarkans."

He waved her thanks off, letting a warmer smile creep onto his face. "Please, it is my duty to assist those who enter the city. I hope you enjoy your stay!" With that, he ducked back inside, shuffling through papers.

Blake took a deep breath, turning to the other two. "Well, let's go find this caravan master."

* * *

"The Huntress? Oh yes, she was an excellent guard. Very quiet though. We could hardly get three words out of here at a time!" Ophi spoke, shrugging.

"Sarkans said you saw Sandworms?" Blake asked. Yang listened carefully, keeping her eye more on Blake than on Ophi. It still surprised her somewhat, how much more assertive Blake was. Though Blake had slowly become more warm and open with her friends back when they were at Beacon, she had never been very comfortable with strangers. That was why Ruby or Yang normally did most of the talking when they went out to hang out in the town and ran into strangers.

Yang's musings were interrupted by Ophi's gasp. "Oh yes! It was quite the terrifying sight! At first, we saw two Deathstalkers ahead of us. The Huntress said they were about to battle for territory, which worried me that we would be delayed while they did. But suddenly, these Sandworms erupted from the desert and just ripped those Deathstalkers apart! Huntress told us to make camp for the night, said we'd be fine traveling in the morning. And we were."

"Where did you see them?" came Blake's next question.

"Hmm…about two days out from the city, perhaps? We took the same path all the caravans take, along the cliff wall."

"And she left to look for the Sandworms?"

Ophi nodded vigorously. "Yes, or so she said. I tried to convince her otherwise, or to ask one of the city hunters to go with her, but she refused. I do not know how she plans to fight five Sandworms! I know you hunters are talented, but five at once seems too many for any one huntress."

"Five at once _is_ too many for any one huntress. But no, look at me, I'm Ruby, I have to do everything myself," Yang muttered darkly, arms crossed as she leaned back against a support beam. Blake shot Yang a look, making Yang instantly shut her mouth, once again shocked at Blake's rather aggressive reaction.

Blake turned back and smiled pleasantly at Ophi. "City hunters?"

"Oh yes. Vacuo employs hunters to protect both the city and the caravan. Normally I would have hired them first, as I knew the Huntress did not want to come near the city, but all were already on jobs and I simply had to bring this shipment in. I do not believe she would have accepted the job if I had another choice, to be perfectly frank. She really does not like being in the city…" Ophi trailed off, musing.

"Where can we find the city hunters?" Weiss asked, her tone curious. Yang and Blake glanced at her, confused. She rolled her eyes. "They would know the area the way hunters know the area, of course. Think!"

Blake rolled her eyes, but hid her smile. A snappy Weiss was a normal Weiss, one she was glad to see return, however briefly she did. "You have a point. We should go find some of the city hunters. Ophi, do you know where they are?"

Ophi nodded. "Oh yes. The city hunters are all quartered in the first tier, near the walls just in case they are needed. Here, give me your map, I'll show you where they are."

* * *

"Huh. Pretty quiet around here, if this is where hunters live," Yang commented, glancing around. The single level buildings around them were made of the same thick stone the rest of the city seemed to be, but unlike most of the city, it was exceedingly quiet. There was an air of stillness, almost of absence.

"Ophi did mention the hunters don't spend much time in the city, between jobs. Perhaps…we came at a bad time?" Blake asked, shrugging.

" _Blake!?_ " came an astounded voice from behind the trio. They spun in shock, finding themselves staring into the gray eyes of Sun Wukong, two brown grocery bags in his arms. He had grown even taller, his shirt half open, revealing a massive scar across his abdomen. His spiky blonde hair was longer than before, falling down to just above his jawline. His mouth was dropped open as he stared at the three, unblinking.

"Sun? _You're_ a city hunter?" Yang asked in surprise.

"Well…yeah! I mean, yeah, but…what? I haven't seen you guys in years! What are you doing here?"

"…it's a long story." Blake replied, glancing between the other two.

"Well, I got time if you do. You guys wanna come up to our place? I was just about to start on some dinner."

Blake tilted her head contemplatively. "If you don't mind…we do need some information from the city hunters. Perhaps you can help."

"Anything you guys need! I missed you guys. Come on, it's just down the street here," Sun said, as he began sauntering off down the main street they were on. He glanced at the three of them, narrowing his eyes. "You're here to find Ruby, aren't you?"

Weiss froze in place, eyes wide. Yang jolted back a moment, surprised, as Blake glanced curiously at him. "How did you know?" Blake asked.

He shrugged as well as he could with the grocery bags in his arms. "Before we moved back to Vacuo, after…after the Fall, Ren told us what happened between you guys. Well, kinda. Was just a quick thing about Ruby being dead, and Weiss and Yang bolting. But I never thought she was dead, not Ruby. She survived much worse! And come on, the Reaper? Two people on Remnant use scythes, and I knew one of them was dead. Pretty obvious who it was. I'm just surprised it took you guys so long to come for her."

Weiss gulped, looking away as Yang shuffled her feet guiltily. Blake opened her mouth, but Yang beat her to it. "I was too busy being a worthless drunk, and Weiss went nuts."

Blake gave a fearful sidelong look to Weiss, worried she'd react violently to what Yang just said, but Weiss just sighed. She gave a halfhearted shrug in response to Yang's comment. Sun shook his head in negation. "Whatever it was, it's in the past. We all carry the scars of that. You're here now, and that's what matters, right?"

Blake tried to change the subject as they walked, hoping to turn it to happier conversation. "How's the rest of SSSN?"

Sun gave a sad smile. "More like SS now…"

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, her curiosity piqued enough to lift her head.

Sun sighed. "Neptune…he can't fight anymore. Not an injury, but…he can't go out into battle. He freaks out. Therapist says its PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder or something like that. And Scarlet, he tore something real bad back then. He can get around fine, but he can't fight anymore. So it's just me and Sage who do the fighting."

"I'm…I'm sorry," Weiss said quietly.

"Nah, don't be sorry. It's cool. We still live together…Nep's too important to me for anything else, you know? Besides, it's not so bad. Nep spends most of his time studying up on medicine and stuff. He wants to try to be a doctor or at least a medic, something. Scarlet has been trying to teach himself Dust use…he's determined to join us as fire support or something. But we're still a team, either way. A family to the end, that's how it should be," Sun said proudly, a secretive smile on his face as he got a faraway look in his eyes.

Yang chuckled sadly as she looked down at her hands, her fists lightly clenched. "Yeah…how it should be."

Blake wasn't given time to react before Sun spoke up. "Ah! Here we are!" The four had stopped before an open archway, leading into another single story stone building. Blake's ears dropped flat onto her head as she flinched away from Sun's newly raised voice. " _Yo, guys, you'll never guess who I ran into!_ "

Neptune's smooth, amused voice came rolling out of the archway as the sound of his footsteps grew close. "Better not be anyone who is replacing me- "he froze midsentence, eyes going wide as he saw the three women standing beside Sun. He gave a shout of joy before rushing forward, grabbing Blake first into a tight hug for a brief moment, before repeating the same with Yang and Weiss, all three stiffening in surprise at his actions.

"By Dust, I've missed you guys!" he said, his smile stretching from ear to ear. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by Sun shoving a grocery bag in his face.

"C'mon Nep, help me put this away so we can get started on dinner. Looks like we'll be having guests tonight. Where's the other two knuckleheads?"

Nep glared at Sun, sticking his tongue out childishly before shrugging. "Scarlet went out to grab some drinks from the tavern he said. Sage…I think he's at the waterfall. He should be back soon."

"What's at the waterfall?" Yang asked, eyebrow arched.

Nep visibly stiffened, before muttering something under his breath about putting away groceries. He grabbed the other bag from Sun and vanished into the room to the left and began noisily opening and shutting cupboards, seemingly trying to drown out Sun's reply. Sun sighed sadly, his shoulder's slumping. "Vacuo put up a Hunter's memorial after the Fall. I'm told Mistral did as well. Sage goes there every day to pay his respects. Nep…he can't go. A lot of our classmates, they…they didn't make it. And a lot of the hunters who tried to escort the refugees, they didn't do so well either. Nep doesn't do well when he thinks of the memorial. Flashbacks and all that."

Yang gulped, not really sure how to react. She shifted her eyes guiltily off to the side, but a flash of red from the corner of her eye had her turning about just in time to see Scarlet coming in, a massive bag held in both arms piled in front of his face. He stumbled forward, nearly running into Weiss, before he straightened out. "Whew. That took longer than I…" as he set the bag down, he saw who was in the room, and like Neptune before him, his jaw dropped.

"I ran into them in the city!" Sun exclaimed, a smile so fake stretched across his face Blake flinched.

"Weiss! Yang! Blake! You're all ok!" Scarlet practically burst into tears, a smile stretched across his face as he began rubbing frantically at his eyes with his red vest. Sun rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"It's good to see you too, Scarlet," Blake said, a small smile crossing her face. Yang mumbled a similar greeting, as Weiss gave a small curtsey.

"My timing is good, I see," came a deep voice from the doorway behind Scarlet, revealing the towering form of Sage stepping behind Scarlet. He planted one hand on Scarlet's shoulder, smiling broadly at the three. "I'm glad to see you guys."

Sun clapped his hands together. "Ok, enough of the tearful reunions, you guys get settled, I'm gonna get started on dinner!"

* * *

"That was excellent, Sun," Blake said, looking up into the deepening purple sky. Sun stood beside her, hands in his pockets, as the two of them tuned out the excited chatter from behind them.

Sun shrugged. "The others couldn't cook to save their lives, so I handle it."

"That's not what I meant," Blake replied quietly, not taking her eyes off the shattered moon above. Sun arched an eyebrow at her, but remained silent, letting her continue at her own pace. "I mean, just…all of this. Thank you. It's nice, to have that reminder that…that we still have friends out here."

"Then, as your friend…what the hell happened? Weiss barely talks, and she keeps shaking randomly. Hell, I think I saw her slap herself! And don't think I didn't notice that Yang keeps trying to grab some of the beer but is stopping herself. It's like she just reaches for it instinctively. What did she mean, earlier?"

Blake took a deep breath. "She told you. She ran off and became an alcoholic, like her uncle. She's…after we proved Ruby was alive, she's trying really hard to avoid it for this hunt, but it's only been a few days and I _know_ she's not gonna be able to keep going without. I know…"

"And Weiss?" Sun asked calmly, his head tilted to the side as he studied Blake.

"I'm not sure what to call it. It happens to Nora too. They see or hear things, things that aren't there, and sometimes they lose their temper and get destructive. Weiss is slapping herself to try to remind herself what's real and what's not."

"Tough break."

Blake snorted. "Yes, tough break indeed. Thanks for summing that up."

Sun shrugged, grinning widely for a moment before it faded. "I'm guessing you think finding Ruby will fix it, huh?"

Blake paused before replying. A week ago, she would have said yes. But the past few days had made her realize how wrong she was. She wasn't sure who was more delusional before, Weiss or herself. She'd convinced herself, over and over, practically made it her mantra, that finding Ruby would repair the years of loneliness, of neglect, of pain…but it wouldn't.

"No. No, I don't think it'll fix anything. She could have come back. For whatever reason, she's choosing not to. But I… _we_ need to find her. We need to see her. We need to…to know."

"Well, let me tell you what you came here to ask in the first place. First, you need to know what the Reaper's style is."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "You mean besides swinging a giant scythe at things?"

Sun shook his head gravely. "No. She's different, now. She won't accept payment, and whenever people pay her, she just donates it. She only accepts shelter for the night, ammunition, and water. She barely eats in the towns she stops in, and she stops for only a day or two at a time before she's off. She's been seen in towns barely able to stand, her Aura nothing but a flickering shadow, with Dust knows how many wounds. She takes on jobs that Vacuo would normally only give to a full squad of hunter teams."

"She's got a hero complex, we know."

"That's not what I'm getting at."

Blake slowly turned her head to face Sun, eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to tell me, Sun?"

Sun gulped at the dark amber eyes that had locked with his own. His voice dropped to a whisper as he glanced around furtively, making sure Weiss and Yang weren't within earshot. "Those aren't the actions a hunter who plans on living for long takes, Blake. But it's not just that. There is a rumor, only a rumor mind you, but one that persists across different towns. It's said that she hurts herself. On purpose. An innkeep once found her, passed out, with brand new cuts across herself, blood pooled below her and a single silver knife in hand. They never said a word, they just pretended like they never saw it, but…it was there."

Blake's mind reeled from the information Sun gave. She knew Ruby took everything to heart, but…hurting herself? Not wanting to…to live? Ruby, with the bright silver eyes and warm smile, with the cheery laughter that would echo out and interrupt her reading but made her smile so broadly. Ruby, the first person to melt the Ice Queen's heart. It couldn't be.

But then again…she never would have thought Weiss could lose her mind. Or that Yang would become a drunk. She wasn't even sure how stable _she_ was anymore, not after everything going on. It was sometimes hard for her to feel things right. She hadn't been overjoyed to see Sun and the others. She'd been happy, but she felt like SSSN had cared more than she had. She just had this burning desire to find Ruby and try to fix things, but that desire wasn't going to help her at this rate.

She shook her head rapidly, clearing her thoughts as best she could. Maybe she was having problems, they all were, but she needed to be thinking clearly before they began the hunt. She didn't have a plan to deal with what Sun had just said. But if she let anything cloud her judgement, she'd lose Ruby again, and along with her, Weiss and Yang. Blake took a deep breath.

"Tell me everything about the caravan path."

"Why?" came Sun's reply, eyebrow arched.

"You said Ruby avoids towns. But I bet she's known for rescuing those who are trapped or in danger, right?"

Sun shrugged. "Well, sure. We all do that."

"Right. Which means I know what to do."

"How are you gonna catch her? It's _Ruby_! She's far too fast."

Sun shuddered as he saw the expression change on Blake's face. Gone was the gentle bookworm he remembered, gone was the woman he'd seen on the path who had been giggling at Sage as he did an 'interpretive dance' for them earlier. Her smile had become predatory, her sharp canines gleaming in the moonlight. Her irises had shrunk to slits, making them far more catlike than he had ever remembered seeing before. Her very stance spoke of danger, of a predator hiding in the brush, ready to pounce.

"We're not going to go after her. She's going to come to us."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick little notes - Just wanted to say how much I truly appreciate all the comments, kudos, and just general love you've all shown! Thank you so much! 
> 
> PS...sorry not sorry!

Blake yawned sleepily as the ambient light began to creep into her eyelids, bringing her to wakefulness. Her mind slowly began to piece together where she was, as she snuggled deeper into the blanket tucked around her. Opening one eye a crack, she realized she was outside, looking up at a brilliantly blue sky, nary a cloud in sight. She yawned again, before she let her head drop down to realize she was in some sort of chair, set outside on the porch of SSSN's house.

The memories trickled back, her getting sleepy, Sun pulling out the chair for her, bringing her a blanket as she began to nod off during their conversation. He mentioned something about Neptune not liking to sleep alone, gave her a smile, and had strolled back inside as she had let the darkness of slumber overtake her. Slowly, she arched her back, hearing the satisfying crack of her spine as she stretched out, letting herself come to wakefulness naturally.

Sun skidding out onto the porch, arms akimbo, face panicked had her instantly snapping awake. Years of living in a decimated city with Grimm everywhere had made her quick to react when woken suddenly, and she found herself on her feet, Gambol Shroud already in hand as she took in Sun's visage. He quickly waved his hands in negation, taking a moment to take a deep breath before speaking. "Woah, woah woah. No need for the weapon. It's not an emergency or anything."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "Then why do you look so scared?"

Sun shifted guilty, glancing away from Blake. "Look, ok, Scarlet didn't know. I hadn't gotten around to telling him, so please, don't be too upset with him. I know Yang was trying but he didn't know."

Blake blinked, confused. "What…what are you talking about?"

Sun sighed, running one hand through his hair, mussing it. "Apparently, after everyone else went to sleep, I guess Scarlet and Yang stayed up talking. Scarlet…he likes to have a couple beers before bed, maybe a shot or two, and he kept offering to Yang, and…"

Blake didn't let Sun finish, shoving past him to stride into the house, unerringly heading towards the kitchen. She froze in the doorway, seeing Yang on the floor, passed out, multiple bottles piled around her. She could smell the stale booze and sweat filling up the tiny kitchen area. Scarlet stumbled into the kitchen from the other side, eyes bleary and one hand on his head, but as soon as he saw the expression on Blake's face he bolted back out.

Blake could only see red. She'd been so close, so close to finding Ruby, without a single problem since they had resolved whatever was going on between Yang and Weiss. She had foolishly thought that the plane ride together would have been enough, but apparently not. Everything in her burned with rage at this moment, an irrational, all consuming anger. At Yang, at Sun, Scarlet, Ruby, Weiss, _everyone_. She clenched her fists firmly at her side, breath hissing through her teeth as she stared at Yang.

Time and time again, she'd been fighting for years to bring them back together. _She_ hadn't run when Ruby had. _She_ hadn't given up. _She_ hadn't abandoned her _family_ , much less for some stupid drink. Blake was sick and tired of all of this, and she wasn't going to keep taking it, not today.

' _No. I'm not letting this stop me, not today,_ ' was Blake's only thought. She tamped down on all her anger, all her helpless frustration, shoving it into the back of her mind. Today they went hunting for Ruby, and she didn't give a damn right now if Yang had the hangover from hell, _they were going to find Ruby._ They would find Ruby, they would bring her back, if she had to do it herself! She stomped over to Yang's side, Sun standing helplessly behind her, before she lifted one hand up as she stood next to the table.

With a thunderous crash, she slammed her hand on the table, making it rattle and jolting Yang awake. Yang practically leapt out of her skin as she sat up, eyes wild. She glanced around wildly, before mumbling something as she held her hands up to her head. Squeezing it, closing her eyes again, Yang sat for a moment, but another slam on the table had her lifting her eyes to meet Blake's narrowed amber ones.

Her headache taking a backseat to the anger she could practically see roiling around Blake's immobile form, she tried to speak but ended up coughing, closing her mouth desperately as she tried to ignore the turbulence in her stomach. She willed herself to calm, but found that she was losing this battle. She stumbled to her feet, pushing past the statue still Blake and rushing for the bathroom.

Falling to her knees before the toilet, she found herself retching into it, feeling her throat burning from the acid shoving its way up. She lost track of time as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the bowl, hearing nothing but the sounds of her own misery as every motion exacerbated the pain of the headache. When she finally thought she had released everything left within her, she found herself slumped against the bowl, head resting on the cool porcelain. She barely managed to flush, crinkling her nose at the scent of what had gone into the bowl.

She found her head aching even more when she felt the impact of her jacket hitting her, followed by some other objects of clothing she didn't recognize as they landed beside her. She opened bleary eyes to see Blake at the door, a brown cloak already swirled around her, with a large brimmed hat over her head.

Blake's eyes bored into hers, her mouth a thin line as she glared down at Yang. "Get dressed. It's time to go."

Yang gulped, her voice raspy as she tried to speak. "Blake, I'm- "

"Save it," Blake ordered curtly, spinning around on her heel. She passed by the couch, tossing another bundle of desert clothing on top of the sleeping Weiss, making the white-haired woman nearly fall off the couch in surprise. Not giving her time to speak, she spoke. "Get up, get dressed. We're going."

Sun chased after Blake as she marched out the door, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her about with force. "What the hell was _that_? Blake, you're acting like a jerk right now."

Blake knocked Sun's hand away, glaring at the blonde before her. "Stay out of it, Sun."

"Screw that! They are my friends too you know! I don't know if you noticed, but this is _my_ house, I pay for it, and I'm not watching you treat people like shit in _my_ house!" He growled, pointing one hand back at the house. "Look, she screwed up, I get that, but I've known a couple alcoholics in my time and it's not like it's easy to just drop it cold turkey!"

"She could have waited at least until we found Ruby!" Blake practically shouted in Sun's face, gesturing out to the desert. "

"That's not how any of that works! What the hell is wrong with you?! You said Weiss is obsessed with Ruby but I'm starting to think it's _you_ who is!"

"What the hell would you know, Sun? You've been down here in Vacuo playing nice with people in an actual _city_ for the past eight years!"

Sun groaned in exasperation, looking up at the sky as though begging for patience. "Oh yes, because it's _so_ easy down here! You act like the Grimm all went to Atlas. You have any idea how many fucking Grimm came streaming down her following all the refugees? Of course you don't, you're too busy with your head up your ass to even realize that you're not the only one who had it rough!"

"Fuck you! You don't know anything about what I went through!" Blake screamed through teary eyes.

Sun gave out a loud, frustrated sound as he grabbed his head in his hands. He took a deep breath, then another, letting them out slowly. Looking back up at Blake, he spoke, his voice much calmer. "Fine. I don't know what you went through. I don't know what Weiss did, what Yang did, or what Ruby did. What I _do_ know is that my friends are in trouble, and I'm worried about them. _All_ of them."

Blake paused for a moment, blinking rapidly to clear the tears that had been building up in her eyes. She gulped, feeling her anger fading slightly. "Ok. Ok. Maybe I was a bit pushy with Yang. But Dust damn it Sun, I just want my family back! I just want my family back…" her voice trailed off into a whisper as she looked down and away from Sun.

She nearly squeaked as she felt Sun pull her into a hug unexpectedly. "I get that. But beating them up for being broken isn't going to bring Ruby back faster, and it won't fix them either." Blake sighed into Sun's shoulder, hesitantly letting her arms wrap around his midsection. They stood for a brief moment in that hug, before Sun patted her on the back and gently extricated himself. He glance down at her for a moment, worry still present in his eyes. "You sure you can't wait till tomorrow? Yang's hangover isn't gonna disappear soon, and I think you need her at her best."

"The longer we wait; the further Ruby can get. I don't think we can afford to," Blake said, sniffling slightly.

Sun sighed. "Alright. Just be careful. But first, I think you need to say something to Yang."

Blake sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm still mad at her though."

"Yeah, ok, be mad, but you can at least say that without throwing stuff at her while she's vomiting into the toilet. Bit much, don't ya think?"

"Ok, ok…I'll go talk to her," Blake started walking towards the door, but a voice interrupted her.

"No need. I got the message," Yang said, her voice still raspy. She stood in the doorway, one hand on it to support her as she massaged her temples. "What I wouldn't give for more of Ren's miracle hangover cure," she muttered to herself, before straightening up and looking at Blake with a steely gaze. "You wanna find Ruby, let's find her."

"Look, Yang- "Blake began, but Yang held up a hand to stop her.

"Let's find Ruby. Worry about anything else later."

Blake sighed, noticing out the corner of her eye that Weiss had joined Yang in the doorway, the dusty brown cloak over her shoulders as well. "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

"So, what exactly _is_ your plan?" Weiss asked as she gazed around, squinting in the bright sunlight reflecting off the sands. The heat had already grown to intolerable levels, but Weiss had been ignoring it in favor of the thought of seeing Ruby again. A nervous energy permeated her whole being, and she found it difficult to concentrate on anything more than the thought of having her Ruby back, with her. Where she belonged.

Yang gave Weiss a sidelong glance, a bit disturbed by the way Weiss kept quietly giggling every few minutes. It wasn't a Weiss thing to do, to giggle. She found herself distracted from her curiosity by Blake's form, as the Faunus woman had stopped, gazing curiously at the cliff wall they had been walking next to for the past few hours. Her eyes widened as a grin crossed her face, before she bounded over to the wall and began running her hands over it.

"See this? Deathstalker claw marks, right?" Blake asked the other two excitedly.

Yang took a quick glance, shaking her head as she felt the bile rising in her throat again. Neither the heat nor the sunlight had been kind on her headache, but at least it had faded slightly, especially when Scarlet had shoved water and some headache medication at her. But it wouldn't quite go away, frustrating her more than she wanted to admit. Focusing on the marks, she gave a slow nod. "Yeah, looks like them. So?"

"So this must be where the caravan spotted the two Deathstalkers and the Sandworms!"

Weiss glanced about for a moment, eyes narrowed as though she could see incoming Grimm. "O-ok, so, the plan?"

_'Another stutter,'_ Yang noted. Weiss had been fine the day before, but today she kept twitching, giggling, and stuttering. She bit her lip, keeping her mouth shut as Blake seemed to completely ignore those signs.

"It's simple. We draw the Sandworms in the same way the Deathstalkers did. Ruby is hunting them, I'm sure she'll come to rescue the 'lost travelers'!"

Yang felt the need to point out the obvious flaws in the plan. "One, how do we know Ruby hasn't found them, or gone on to hunt something else? Two, how are we going to draw them in the way Deathstalkers did?"

Blake shrugged. "Well, if it's the first, we'll just have to keep looking. It's not guaranteed, but I believe if she had slain the Sandworms, she would have reported it. She still needs supplies after all, she needs payment to keep doing what she's doing. She's also too stubborn to give up on a hunt no matter how hard it is to find them." Yang sighed, conceding that point. Ruby _never_ quit on hunts. "Second, that's where Weiss comes in."

"M-me?" Weiss asked, blinking in surprise.

Blake nodded with a wide smile on her face. "Yes! You can summon big Grimm, right? What's the biggest Grimm you can summon?"

Weiss seemed to ponder for a moment, looking up at the cliff wall in contemplation. "The N-nevermore we killed on the day we f-formed the team."

"Perfect! That thing was huge! So you summon it, and then make it dive bomb the ground or something, and it'll draw the Sandworms in from the vibration! That'll draw Ruby in!" Blake was so excited, her form practically vibrating as she spoke.

Yang had never seen Blake so…animated. Between her and Weiss, whose eyes had glazed over when Blake had mentioned Ruby, Yang was really getting concerned for the mental states of her team. And something about that plan struck her as off…something she knew, but couldn't remember. Dust damn it, what was she forgetting?

Yang had no more time to think, because Weiss seemed entirely on board with that plan. Myrtenaster was drawn, the glyph appeared, and in moments an incredibly huge white and blue Nevermore was standing behind Weiss, wings spread wide. It screeched out its arrival into the sky, the thunderous cry echoing off the cliff walls and making Yang cringe as it brought her headache back into the forefront. She had to shield her eyes as sand was blasted over her when the Nevermore gave the massive down sweep of its wings, lifting it off the ground. It shot into the sky above, flying higher and higher, before it spun about midair.

That's when it hit Yang. She suddenly remembered what it was that was wrong about the plan. Even as the Nevermore began its dive, Yang turned to Weiss, wanting to shake some sense into her before the Nevermore hit. If it hit, headfirst as it looked like it was going to, _Weiss would feel it._

Her reflexes were still too slow, still dizzy and nauseous from her hangover, and she had no chance. The Nevermore hit, the ground shook for kilometers around, a loud screech from the Nevermore mixed with the scream of pain from Weiss as the sand blew up into the sky in a massive plume, giving her no chance to react before Weiss's form crumpled to the ground.

* * *

Ruby flicked another setting on her new goggles, peering about curiously. Though she had been very against going into the city, Ophi's relentlessness had her stay for the one night. The one good thing that came out of that was that she had picked up quite a few parts, and though she barely had slept, it had worked out in her favor. She smiled beneath the scarf wrapped around her lower face, feeling a sense of pride at how well her new goggles worked.

Between the hood covering her head, the scarf around her face, and the dark black goggles on her face, not a single inch of skin showed. But she was far more concerned with how well the different settings worked. Now, the goggles automatically adjusted based on the ambient light around her within seconds, allowing her to see much better both in the day and in the night. They also included telescoping lenses, giving her far better distance vision. A new auditory sensor was also included, letting her scan nearby areas for pre-recorded sounds of Grimm cries, giving her a heads up when hunting the more elusive kinds…like these blasted Sandworms!

She was very proud of what she had made, but was also frustrated. Four days she'd been hunting these stupid Grimm, and they had been completely absent. But now, she was sure she'd found them. Her sensor had picked up the telltale rumbling from beneath the sand, informing her of their presence somewhere nearby. Now she just needed to find the nest, or get their attention…

A loud screech shattered her concentration. It sounded just like a…a Nevermore? Ruby was confused, she'd never heard of one in the Vacuo deserts. She spun about, eyes wide beneath her goggles as she saw a massive bird fly into the sky. But…it was white? Something must be off about her goggles if they had discolored the Nevermore entirely. She grumbled under her breath in annoyance. She _thought_ she had them perfect, but clearly not. But something was off about this Nevermore. It was diving? But why would it dive like that, no way it could pull out of the dive in time…

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted as the ground shook, stumbling about and barely keeping her balance. _'It hit the ground?!_ ' Ruby thought, her confusion completely overtaking her attention. But an insistent beeping from her goggles had her bringing her mind back to where she stood. A beep that signified the cues of...Sandworms. She felt the rumbling beneath her as they shot through the sand, their tunneling creating a cacophonous rumble deep beneath the sand.

Closing her eyes to help her concentrate, she counted the distinct tunnels she felt as they raced beneath her feet. _'One, two, three, four, five. Ok, that's all five.'_ Nodding sharply, she opened her eyes and prepared to race after them. She'd been prepared for five, that was fine. But another rumble beneath her, this one much, much stronger, startled her. She felt the sand beneath her shift, as a furrow began to drain before her from the force.

_'Another one? But so much larger…An Elder?!_ ' her eyes went wide as she realized what that meant. Elder Sandworms were nearly twice the size of their brethren, and far more dangerous. Intelligent, with the ability to rapidly heal and no weak point on their armor plating like the younger Sandworms were, Elder Sandworms were something even Ruby was hesitant to take on. But when the scream echoed from where the Nevermore had fallen, the scream of a _person_ , hit her ears, she had no choice. A flurry of sand followed her as she sped after the Sandworms, her semblance leaving a red blur of petals behind her.

* * *

Weiss was on her knees, hands gripping her head tightly as she sobbed in pain, practically doubled over. Yang managed to stagger over beside her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and trying to shush her. Blake stared, jaw dropped, utterly confused.

"What…what happened? Weiss, what?"

"She feels what her summons feel. And you just made her ram her summons head into the ground!" Yang snapped at Blake, fixing eyes tinged with red on Blake.

"B-but, I didn't know!" Blake tried to argue, slightly horrified as she realized what had happened. Weiss didn't seem to be listening to either of them, her sobs echoing out over the sand as she kept her eyes tightly closed.

"Yeah well, if you had stopped for thirty seconds to _think_ before asking Weiss to do something so fucking crazy we wouldn't be in this situation!" Yang growled.

Blake straightened up, her confusion melting away into annoyance. "How was I supposed to know? Besides, she could have said no!"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Oh sure, Weiss is gonna say no to something that might bring Ruby here. Come on Blake!"

"R-Ruby? Ruby is coming, right?" Weiss asked, seeming to latch onto what Yang had just said. Weiss looked up at Yang, eyes wide and pleading, tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached out and gripped Yang's jacket, her face twitching slightly. "Right? Ruby's coming!"

Yang gulped, not really sure how to respond. But the tiniest twinge in her senses had her own face twitching, as she started scanning the area about them. A second twinge, something…a rumble. A rumble beneath them. Her eyes went wide, before she leapt to her feet, holding Weiss in her arms and _jumped._ She had moved just in the nick of time, as an angry Sandworm erupted from the sand beneath where they had been, it's mouth gnashing on the air. Blake swiftly drew Gambol Shroud and leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a second Sandworm.

"Just hold on till Ruby comes!" Blake shouted, a shadow clone already being devoured by the third worm as she dashed out of range. Yang snarled, activating Ember Celica and smashing her fist onto the back of the fourth worm as is passed beside her, firing an extra shot just to make sure it got the message. She set Weiss down and leapt after it, hoping to draw its attention from Blake who already was surrounded by two.

Weiss stumbled to her feet, both eyes twitching before she went completely still. Yang didn't notice at first, but she heard the roar of the fifth Grimm and turned about just in time to see it leaping towards the frozen Weiss. She needed to get to her, but she currently had one Sandworm in front of her, blocking her path. She cried out wordlessly as the worm flew through the air at Weiss, it's massive mouth open and drooling.

With a loud crackle, a brilliant white glyph shot up in front of Weiss, the image of her knight instantly forming. It crossed its sword before itself, intercepting the Grimm's attack before turning and slamming it with its free hand fist, knocking it away. Weiss began giggling for a moment, before she threw her head back and began laughing maniacally. " _Kill them. Kill them all!"_ she laughed, her voice gleeful.

The knight began swinging its blade wildly. Its strength was prodigious, and the blade was effective even against the armor plating of the Grimm, but it was not paying attention to Yang or Blake. Blake barely managed to leap over the blade as it swept across, nearly cleaving her in half. She gasped, landing in a crouch, before looking over at the now snarling Weiss.

"Weiss! Snap out of it!" she shouted, but she didn't get a chance to follow it up as a different worm had just come charging at her. She leapt over it, throwing Gambol Shroud in an attempt to loop over one of its spikes and see if she could redirect its charge, but it merely bounced off its armor as she barely managed to land safely. She quickly threw out a clone and used it as a springboard to avoid the slapping tail of the Grimm as it rushed past, before it quickly tunneled once more.

Blake quickly ran through calculations in her mind. _'Ok. Weiss may have lost it, but she might actually be a better fighter like this. If we stay safe, that summon can keep us going. I can avoid them fine, and Yang should be fine too._ ' Even as she thought this, she glanced around, noting Yang currently pummeling one of the Grimm with single minded fury. Her eyes were red, and the flames Blake had remembered from long ago were slowly flickering into life. Blake breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see her semblance activating. It made her that much more powerful, and it meant she was still as durable as ever. Blake knew they'd be fine.

As the thought crossed her mind, that's when the largest rumble took place, one that nearly knocked everyone off their feet. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as a massive pit opened in the sand before Yang, an incredibly huge Sandworm rushing up from it, towering above them all, so tall it blocked out the sun in the sky. The force of its arrival had thrown Yang from her feet, knocking her flat onto her back. Weiss lost her concentration for a moment, the knight almost dissipating as she stumbled. She wasn't looking up, and didn't see the sweeping tail of one of the worms come rocketing at her back even as she straightened up.

Yang struggled to get to her feet, but the remnants of her hangover dulled her reflexes. She could only get up to one knee in time to see the colossal worm come diving down at her, its cavernous mouth full of razor sharp teeth open, filling her entire field of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who has read my previous stories...c'mon, you had to know I'd cliffhanger you! :P


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone pointed out I totally lost track of Zwei, and I feel like a complete idiot right now. He was supposed to stay at the airship, but I forgot to add that two sentence section. Derp. I edited chapter 14 to include that near the start. My apologies to all of you.
> 
> Anyways, I had lots of free time this weekend, so here we are! Chapter 16! Hope you enjoy!

Though Weiss couldn't see the tail coming at her, her knight could. Slamming the Sandworm to the ground it had been grappling, it quickly threw its sword, impaling the tail where it was. The worm screeched in agony as it began thrashing wildly. Weiss spun about in shock, eyes wide at the close call, but felt a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen. Glancing back, she saw her knight struggling with another Sandworm which had latched it mouth around the knight's midsection, and was wrapping its coils about the knight's body.

She gripped at her stomach tightly as she felt the pain increase, feeling blood bubble up within her throat. She coughed, red spilling from her lips as she fell to her knees. Reaching deep down and concentrating, she dismissed her knight, its form dissipating into a thousand tiny snowflakes, making the worm rear back in surprise. She took a deep breath, just in time to hear a scream of rage to her left.

Yang could see the mouth descending on her, and knew she couldn't get up and dive out of the way in time. If she was going to be devoured, this worm would find her a far too difficult pill to swallow. Reaching deep down, deeper than she'd gone for the longest time, she found that tiny spark within her, the barest little ember left glowing in her soul. She'd thought it lost for the longest time, but those moments with Pyrrha in Pyrrha's special room…with Weiss, learning Weiss forgave her…with Blake on the plane, taking in the quiet scent of new pages and sandalwood…she'd learned she had just a little bit left. Just enough to call upon her fire once more.

Yang erupted into flame, screaming in rage as she thrust both arms forward, slamming the triggers on Ember Celica as quickly as she could. Shot after shot after shot being poured into the Grimm's mouth, flames rippling along with them as it descended on her. It's exterior might be armored, but it's interior was not as much. It gave a gargling cry of pain and rage, but the way Sandworms were designed it couldn't close its mouth. It altered the direction of its dive, presenting the armored side of its mouth to Yang's fists, before sweeping across.

Blake could only watch in horror as Yang's Aura was instantly drained from the force of the blow, the shimmer of its drain flitting across her body like tiny flames as she flew across the sand. The cloak she wore was ripped off, sand scraping Yang's side and plowing a furrow into the desert below. She flew so far back she impacted the cliff wall, the force causing cracks to spider-web up the cliff face, small rocks tumbling down on top of her. Yang lay still, far too still.

Weiss stumbled to her feet, eyes blurry but holding Myrtenaster unsteadily in her left hand. She flung her right hand out, holding her fingers up, trying to call upon a summon once more. Her body shook with the effort, her Aura all but drained by the hits her knight had taken, but she needed something, anything, just one more…

Blake dashed over and managed to catch Weiss just before she collapsed, the glyph that had been forming before Weiss breaking into nothingness. One Sandworm was dead directly at the knight's hand. A second lay bleeding to its final end where the knight's blade had pierced its tail and Blake had quickly dashed in to slit its throat to finish it off. Two more were badly wounded, but still alive, and slowly had begun to advance on Yang's position as she lay by the cliff wall. Behind Blake and Weiss slithered the last healthy one, and before them loomed the Elder.

Though it had no eyes, Blake felt like something in it was staring directly at her, mocking her. It was risen up to its full height, Dust knew how many meters up, and simply loomed over the two of them for a brief moment as though to assert its authority as master of the desert. In Blake's mind though, it felt more like it was mocking her for her failure, her inability to lead, her obsession leading to this. Ruby hadn't come…and it didn't look like they'd be finding her.

Blake knew she could run. She could get away, with her clones. But she couldn't leave Yang and Weiss behind. She couldn't do it. Not after everything they'd been through. If there were only one or two, she could bait them away from Yang and Weiss, maybe give them a chance to flee. But not with four remaining, an unconscious Yang, and a barely conscious Weiss. Blake was scared. She didn't want to lose them again. But this was all her fault. She'd led them into this plan, she'd made this choice for them, and now they might die, all because she had been too stupid to think straight.

It seemed the Elder was tired of waiting, as its mouth opened wider as it prepared for its final lunge. Blake squeezed Weiss tightly, bowing her head over her, silently begging forgiveness as the tears gathered in her eyes. She was so sorry, so sorry for what she'd done, what she'd led them into.

Blake's ears twitched as a sound hit her, a sound she hadn't heard in many years. She couldn't quite place it, but it seemed to have gotten the attention of the worms as well. Their heads began swiveling this way and that, trying to locate it, and all four turned unerringly away from the cliff wall to stare out over the desert. Blake lifted her head up slightly, blinking back against the light and the water in her eyes distorting her vision. She couldn't see anything, but that sound kept playing in her head. She _knew_ that sound…wait…her eyes widened as she remembered that sound. The sound…of the bolt of a large caliber rifle.

The Elder's head jerked to the side as a massive hole was blown in it from the _inside_ out. Blake marveled at the accuracy it took to make that shot, shooting the Grimm just as it turns its head just so, avoiding the armor on the one side enough to hit the other and blow clean through the soft internal tissue of its mouth. It began thrashing about wildly in pain, Blake barely ducking in time to avoid its tail, the Sandworm behind her not so lucky. It was launched away, smashing into the wall much as Yang had, it's body rupturing as it hit. More cracks ran up the cliff face, making it give an ominous rumbling sound for a moment before settling again.

Blake quickly leapt to her feet, Weiss lying limply in her arms, and began to try to move away, but the thrashing of the Elder made it difficult to concentrate on anything more than dodging. Not to mention it was making the sand slide about and swirl up, blinding her vision and making it difficult to breathe.

But then, the scent of roses. Blake's eyes went wide again as petals blew past her, a swirl of sand following the beings wake. She managed to catch a glimpse of a cloaked and hooded figure, black goggles on their face, before it blew past her. It leapt into the air above one of the Sandworms advancing on Yang's downed form, spinning about midair as their weapon unfolded. An untold amount of joy burst into being in Blake's chest when she saw it…Crescent Rose, the black blade gleaming brilliantly in the desert sunlight. Though she was fully covered, Blake knew, finally _knew_ , it was Ruby.

* * *

 _'What the hell were these three thinking?!_ ' Ruby thought to herself, a snarl plastered on her face as she rebounded off the wall, decapitating one of the remaining Sandworms. Clearly, they were some of the city hunters, but the city hunters _knew_ she was hunting the Sandworms! Not to mention going after them without a full team and proper preparation was suicide! Ruby conveniently ignored the little voice in the back of her head pointing out _she_ went out without a full team. She did at least come out prepared.

Admittedly, no one was expecting an Elder to appear. They hadn't seen one in two years, and the last time one appeared they had sent three full teams. Even that shot she'd given through its mouth was already healing, and Ruby was honestly not sure what to do here. She didn't think they could kill it, and no way she could carry all three of them out. She spared a glance for the one lying by the cliff wall. The person's cloak had been ripped off, and all Ruby could see was long, curly blonde hair, very reminiscent of Yang's…

She snarled to herself. _'Focus!'_ She didn't have time to think of them, not right now. The last Sandworm was before her, trying to snap at her but she gave it no chance. She leapt up and over, turning midair to hook her scythe in its mouth. With another shot from Crescent Rose, she caused it to bend over backward from the force, allowing her to drag her scythe from the tip of its vulnerable mouth backwards. With a heave of exertion, the scythe began ripping at its flesh, cleaving the Sandworm in half.

Ruby landed on the ground in a crouch, staring up at the now calmed Elder. She rose to stand straight, Crescent Rose held loosely in her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other hunter, carrying the third, rushing towards the downed one by the cliff wall. The Elder was listening to them move too, its head following their motions and keeping zeroed in. Ruby cursed to herself. She'd hoped she had its attention, but it clearly smelled blood and knew what the easy prey was. She spared a quick glance back at the three, eyes narrowing as she took in the area and noticed the cracked walls on the cliff.

" _Get them away from the cliff!"_ Ruby shouted to the still standing hunter, watching as they startled. They turned to her, the wide brimmed hat blocking their face, but Ruby did notice a few strands of long, black hair flying loose under them. She growled out as the Elder zeroed back in on her, the shout clearly grabbing its attention. " _Don't just stand there, move!"_ she screamed, making the frozen hunter start trying to life the blonde one up in their arms as well.

Ruby burst into movement just in time, barely avoiding the sudden strike from the Elder as it blurred forward. It was _fast_. She ran to the side opposite of the three hunters, firing three rounds at the Elder in the hopes of keeping its attention with what amounted to bee stings. She winced as Crescent Rose clicked as it fired its last shot, realizing that she hadn't reloaded her spare magazine yet. Well, good thing her plan didn't require more bullets, so long as she kept its attention.

Noticing that the standing hunter had managed to pull the other two far enough away, Ruby decided now was the time. She slowed down just enough that the Elder could track her more easily, and rushed towards the cliff wall. She stood in front of it, scythe held firmly in both hands, teeth clenched as it coiled slightly. She could see the muscles in its body tensing as it prepared for the lunge, knowing it had her right where it wanted her. As soon as it moved, she _moved_.

* * *

Blake gasped as the Elder lunged, moving at an incredible speed, its colossal form nearly a blur. It rammed headfirst into the cliff wall, hitting right above where Yang had. She couldn't see Ruby anywhere in the sudden dust cloud that was kicked up by that, but her worries were only compounded when she heard the ominous rumbling. The very sand beneath her began to shift as the ground rumbled, and she could only glance up just in time to see the cracks in the wall practically explode, massive boulders coming tumbling down from many meters above. The Elder gave a screech of alarm, but it couldn't turn away in time as the wall began to collapse on top of it.

Blake could only watch, eyes wide with terror, as the entire cliff began to crumple, right above where she had seen Ruby stand. The Elder was battered from above, boulder after boulder smashing into its form, snapping off spines, cracking armor plating, bursts of blood spurting up from its body. Its cries lessened, before one last giant boulder came careening downward, smashing directly into its upturned mouth, shattering its teeth and snapping what remained of its spine. The Elder crumbled to the ground, silence slowly overtaking the region as the sand and dust began to settle, the rocks burying the Elder in its own personal cairn.

A motion at her side had her glancing down, to see Weiss struggling weakly. Weiss managed to lift one hand up, grasping Blake's sleeve and looking up at her with pleading eyes. "R-Ruby?" she managed to cough out, her blue eyes seeking answers in Blake's amber ones.

Blake felt her jaw moving, but no sounds came out, as she just tried to find words. Yang was shuffling beside her, slowly waking it seemed, but Blake had no idea what to say. The only thing crossing her mind was that she had gotten Ruby killed after nearly getting Yang and Weiss killed. She was…a danger. She was the real danger to them. She'd been the one to get them involved with the White Fang the first time, the one who had split up from Yang and Weiss when they went looking for Ruby after the Fall in Atlas. All she could think about was that every single one of those moments, the key factor had been _her_. Her decision making, her thought process, her choices.

The sound of a weapon shifting behind her had her spinning about, to see a dust covered cloaked figure standing behind her, stowing a red boxy weapon behind her back. Blake gulped, her eyes raking Ruby's form, noticing how she was favoring her right left heavily, one hand clutching her side where red could be seen staining the dark brown clothing.

"What the _hell_ were you three thinking, making noise like that? Did you even think to fucking prepare? You nearly got yourselves killed! Are you three new or something?" Ruby growled, her voice muffled by the scarf over her mouth. Even with her face completely covered, Blake could practically see the anger radiating off the woman, but before she could respond, Weiss' voice sounded out.

"Ruby?"

Ruby froze, her entire body going stock still as she glanced down at the now kneeling Weiss. Weiss slowly lifted her head up, the brim of the hat being pushed back enough that her eyes were now visible to Ruby's. Slowly, ever so slowly, Ruby pulled the black goggles off her face, revealing those silver eyes they remembered. Silver, hard glinting steel, gazing down in shock at Weiss' kneeling form. Blake grabbed her own hat and ripped it off, blinking as the sunlight flooded down on her, but drawing Ruby's attention to her.

Ruby began to shake, and her eyes trailed over to the slowly rising Yang. Yang lifted her head up from the sand, panting, trying to stand but having trouble. Blake reached down and grabbed Yang's arm, helping her to her feet, allowing Yang to lean on her as lavender met silver. Ruby's gaze kept switching rapidly between the three of them, flickering back and forth so quickly Blake started to become concerned. Before anyone could react, Ruby bolted.

Weiss screamed out wordlessly, reaching one hand out as if to catch her, but she'd already vanished into the desert. She looked like she was about to sob, but Blake shushed her quietly. "She can't get far with that wound. I'll go get her. You two wait here, I'll bring her back."

"You promise?" Weiss asked Blake, her voice subdued. Blake nodded slowly, before grabbing up Yang's cloak and handing it to her, helping her sit down against the cliff wall.

"You two stay here. Drink the water in the packs to keep yourselves hydrated. Sooner your Aura's are back, the better. Anything goes wrong, use Myrtenaster to send some Dust up or something, I'll be watching. She can't have gone more than half a kilometer at best, if that. I'll be back before you know it."

Yang smiled up at Blake tiredly. "Thanks, Blakey."

Blake turned away from her smile. She didn't deserve it. Whether Ruby had saved them or not didn't change they got hurt because of her. But she could do this much. She could go find Ruby and try to convince her to return with them. "I'll be back shortly."

* * *

Blake had been right. Ruby hadn't gotten far. She was sitting on a small rock outcropping maybe ten minutes of walking away, just a few meters from the cliff, facing away from Blake as she walked up. She was leaning back on her hands, looking up at the sky pensively. She didn't react to Blake's arrival, but her tired voice stopped Blake a few meters' way.

"What do you want, Blake?"

Blake gulped, holding her hands at her sides in a symbol for peace. "We came…we came to bring you home."

Ruby snorted humorlessly. "I don't have a home anymore, remember? Kinda caught on fire, got blown up, everyone got slaughtered…ringing any bells?"

"We're rebuilding Atlas. It's- "

"I don't give a damn about that," Ruby interrupted her. "I heard about it. It doesn't change what happened. It doesn't change what I did."

Blake took another step forward. "What did you do?"

"What _didn't_ I do is the better question. I _didn't_ stop the Fall, I _didn't_ save my family, I _didn't_ keep that little girl's parents alive…" Ruby sighed, looking down at her hands, shoulders slumped.

"But we're still here, Ruby! Do you have any idea what happened after you left?!" Blake asked, her frustration mounting.

"You guys started rebuilding?" Ruby responded, a question in her tone. "I thought we established that."

"No, JNPR started rebuilding. Ozpin started rebuilding. _I_ started rebuilding. Yang and Weiss thought you _died!_ They left the same night you left! And now, they…they…they are…" Blake trailed off, glancing away from the still form of Ruby.

"They are what?" Ruby's voice was nearly a whisper, barely carrying across the sands. Blake wasn't sure she'd have heard her if it wasn't for her Faunus senses.

"Yang's a fucking drunk and Weiss has gone insane," Blake snarled at Ruby. Instantly, she regretted her outburst as she saw Ruby slump further.

"So I fucked them up too. Nice." Her voice was devoid of any emotion, utterly deadpan as she replied to Blake's comment, but Blake could see how her shoulders shook. "And you think tracking me down and dragging me back is going to fix what I did?"

Blake reached up and gripped her hair tightly, pulling at it as she tried to tamp down her frustration. "Yes, I mean no, I mean I don't know! I don't care anymore! Ruby, I just want my family back! That's all I want…that's all _we_ want. Please, Ruby, at least…at least come back with us for a little while? Can't we see if we can start over?"

"…that's not how the world works, Blake. You can't just pretend the past never happened. You can't just ignore it."

"Ruby, _please._ I am begging you. All I ask is you give it a try!" Blake stepped forward again, close enough she could reach out and touch Ruby if she wanted, but hesitant to do so. She didn't want to mess anything else up again. She didn't know what to say. But she needed Ruby back, if not for her, for Yang and Weiss.

Ruby sighed. "Why? Why do you want this so badly? You mentioned JNPR and Professor Ozpin, don't you talk to them?"

"Of course I do. They mean the world to me too. But my world's not complete without Yang, without Weiss, without you. I need my book buddy back."

Ruby gave a half laugh with just the tiniest trace of amusement in it. "I haven't read a good book in years. I do miss that."

Blake latched onto that, hoping it would be something she could use. "I have a pretty big library back in Atlas! Have plenty of books you could read!"

Ruby turned her head just enough to finally look at Blake over her shoulder, giving her a sidelong glance. "You're reaching; you do know that, right?"

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes."

Ruby looked back up contemplatively, before changing the subject casually. "Where are Weiss and Yang?"

Blake pointed back towards where they had come from, flushing slightly as she realized Ruby wasn't looking at her anymore and the gesture was wasted. "They are still banged up, so they are back where we fought. I figured none of the Grimm would be coming around anytime soon, not with the corpses still smoldering."

Ruby was silent for a moment, before she, with great effort, spun herself around on the rock, hissing in pain as she moved her leg. She looked at Blake with her head tilted to the side, letting her silver eyes latch onto Blake's amber ones. Blake finally understood why everyone who had met Ruby said she looked sad…looking into her eyes, all Blake could see was layers upon layers of deep rooted pain and sadness. "It means that much to you, having me come back with you?"

"Yes! It does! And to Yang and Weiss! We need you, Ruby."

"Do you think it'll help? Help you guys feel better?"

Something about that question struck Blake as odd, but she couldn't quite place it. It felt…it almost felt like Ruby was contemplating agreeing solely because they wanted her back. Like she didn't care what happened to her. Her mind flashed to her conversation with Sun and what he'd said to her about Ruby, and she found her eyes racking Ruby's body unconsciously. Not that she could see anything under the numerous layers of clothing wrapped about Ruby. Blake shook her head to clear her thoughts, seeing Ruby patiently waiting for her reply.

"Yes. It will." Blake wasn't stupid. If Sun was right about Ruby, Ruby was offering only because she thought that's what Blake wanted, not because she wanted it. But Blake would rather have her safe with them, than out here alone. Maybe, just maybe, if Ruby was with them, maybe they could help each other. Maybe they could heal. It was worth the shot…the alternative wasn't exactly pretty.

"Alright. I'll go."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, see, not such a long wait, right? Very Ruby heavy chapter here, but hopefully it helps shine some light on exactly why she was so easy for Blake to convince. Also, the concept of 'substitute person' I admittedly took from a movie that struck a cord within me many, many years ago. Ten points to anyone who knows the movie. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

_'What the hell are you doing?_ ' Ruby wondered to herself as she followed behind Blake. With her leg still hurt, Blake had offered to support her, but she had turned her down. Instead, they walked slowly, Blake leading the way. Ruby couldn't help but notice how Blake's ears kept twitching every step Ruby took, as well as how tense Blake was. It was obvious to Ruby Blake worried she'd try to escape again and was waiting for her attempt.

What Blake didn't realize is Ruby had been genuine when she said she'd go. If her team needed her, she'd go be there for them. She'd be whatever they wanted her to be. It had been that night she'd stayed in the city when she realized what she really was. Sitting there in that small hotel room, looking out the open archway onto the balcony and the night sky, it had hit her.

She'd spent years out in Vacuo, years trying to atone for her sins, but she never could wash the blood off her hands. She simply couldn't do it. She kept coming so close to just ending it, but in all honesty she feared dying as much as she longed for it. Well, if she were honest with herself, it wasn't that she wanted to die so much as she wanted to stop hurting. She just wanted that pain in her chest, that constant companion that kept her awake at night, to go away. To silence that voice, that reminder of everything she'd ever done wrong.

But she couldn't. Eight years of that should have taught her that. But then, she thought about all the people down in Vacuo who she helped, and it had become clear to her. They called upon her when they needed her, and dismissed her when they didn't. Because she wasn't a real person. She was a substitute person. She took the place of something people were missing. That's all she'd been for her team back in the day, really.

For Blake, she'd been someone to share a love of reading and desire to lose yourself in the ever expanding world of the written word. Even for Yang, she was replaceable…she was just a poor substitute for the love Yang had wanted so desperately from her own mother. And Yang was well on her way to replacing her with Blake…anyone with eyes could see those two were far closer than the average partner at Beacon.

Her mind had run through every person she thought was a friend, and it had made perfect sense. Every one of them, the tiny voice in the back of her mind that normally insisted she was worthless and pathetic, it had helped her see, she'd only ever been a substitute. A simple placeholder until something better came along.

Even Weiss. Her partner, her friend, her…something. She used to wonder, sometimes, what it'd be like. Weiss was beautiful, absolutely stunning, that was for sure. And underneath her somewhat callous exterior, Ruby had found a woman who actually _cared_. Ruby had noticed something between them, something charged with energy and compassion. But, Ruby had realized, Weiss had only ever been using her to fill that void she felt thanks to her family. Just a substitute for what Weiss hadn't received from her own life.

So sure, Ruby would follow Blake. She'd go back with them. She'd be what they asked of her. Soon enough they'd tire of her and maybe, just maybe…she'd be able to find the courage to let go of life. Maybe she'd get the chance to just rest, to get away from the voice, to stop feeling this wrenching sharp pain in her chest that never seemed to end.

Her musings were interrupted by Blake pausing in her step, her stance slowly relaxing. Ruby walked another two steps forward, to stand next to Blake, and look down upon the forms of Yang and Weiss, leaning against the cliff wall. Not that Weiss stayed there for long.

It seemed like Weiss teleported, that was how quickly Ruby found her arms full of white haired woman. The impact to her chest nearly knocked her over, especially with her balance so tenuous thanks to her leg, but she barely managed to keep upright as arms were wrapped around her midsection in a grip so tight Ruby wondered if Weiss had taken lessons from Yang. With a sense of detachment, Ruby let her arms fall down and around Weiss, returning the hug in a vague sense of the term. Though she felt the pain from her earlier wound in her side increasing, it didn't faze her at all.

Somewhere inside Ruby she thought she should feel more than this, but for some strange reason she'd simply felt numb since the came to her realization about being a substitute, back in the city. It was just a cold, cool feeling of logic that led her to decide to hug Weiss back, to give her what she wanted.

But something flickered within her at that moment, just the briefest flash of worry as she felt how frail Weiss felt in her arms. She noted calmly that Weiss was sobbing into her chest, her words muffled and incomprehensible with Weiss' face buried in her shirt. But how _thin_ Weiss felt, how bony, it still triggered something inside Ruby. Weiss always was slenderer and more petite than the other three members of her team, and even as Ruby hit her growth spurt and had grown to rival Yang in height, Weiss had remained the shortest member of the team.

But she had been a lithe warrior, her muscles still iron just as any other huntress' were. She had been fit and able back then, years ago, but now she felt like she had been wasting away. The numbness in Ruby's chest faded just enough for the pain to flood back, and she hissed a deep breath in as everything seemed to rush back at once. Her fears, her worries, and the blasted hole in her Dust be damned side, all bursting into painful clarity as that worry she was feeling for Weiss seemed to unlock just enough of her feelings to break her sense of detachment.

Weiss noticed the hiss of pain and relaxed her hug, looking up at Ruby with wide, watery eyes and a manic grin on her face. She squeezed her again before beginning to babble joyfully. "See! _See!_ I knew it! I knew if I killed all those Grimm you'd come back! I knew it'd bring you back! I told you so! I told everyone so but they never believed me, I knew it'd bring you back to me! You can't leave again. You can't. You're _mine_ ," Weiss voice faded to a growl on the last word, the grin she had before slipping away into a snarl, making Ruby's eyes open wide and her jaw drop at the sudden shift in attitude.

Weiss shook Ruby slightly, glaring at her. "Got it? You can't leave again; you can't die again. I don't know if there are enough Grimm to kill to bring you back again. So no you can't leave. No leaving!"

Ruby wasn't sure how to react. Blake had said Weiss had lost her mind, but what the hell was she talking about? She hadn't died in the first place, obviously. She was standing right here; didn't that mean she was alive? And what did she mean by killing Grimm?

Weiss was pulled away from Ruby by Blake who gave Ruby an apologetic look, before Blake interposed herself between Ruby and Weiss. Weiss bared her teeth at Blake for _daring_ to remove her from Ruby, but Blake didn't hesitate. She slapped Weiss across the face once, _hard_ , the crack of her hand on Weiss' face echoing across the desert. Weiss' eyes blinked open wide as Ruby took a step backward, not sure whether she'd come to some weird reverse dimension or what, but starting to worry she'd inhaled some sort of hallucinogenic or something.

But Weiss didn't react violently. Ruby watched in fascination and confusion as Weiss shook her head once, twice, a third time, almost like a dog, before she planted her hands over her ears and closed her eyes. Biting her lip, Weiss began humming softly to herself as Blake took a cautious step away, her hands at the ready.

There was a collective silence for a few minutes, before Weiss slowly lowered her hands. She took a deep, shaky breath, before opening her eyes, blue meeting Ruby's silver once more. Weiss' lip quivered for a moment, but she shook her head again before opening her mouth. "S-sorry, Ruby. Sometimes I get a little…excited."

Blake slammed her hand into her forehead, rolling her eyes as she muttered "Excited, sure. Let's call it that."

Ruby blinked rapidly, still trying to process what was going on around her, but a quick tap on her shoulder had her turning around, although she regretted it a moment later. Ruby never let her Aura fall off, subconsciously she kept it on at all times, which in retrospect was a good thing when the fist slammed into her face, lifting her clean off her feet and sending her flying into the air. She heard Blake's instant cry out, and Weiss' terrified gasp, but none of that mattered as her instincts flipped into effect.

Effortlessly she ignored the burning pain in her jaw and the likely fracture, using her Semblance to twist the wind around her and give her a springboard to realign herself midair. In a fraction of a second, she had Crescent Rose in hand, still shifting into its full scythe form as she landed in a crouch, legs spread wide and right hand planted on the sand as she skidded back slightly, her scythe braced against her back as her gaze fell upon her attacker.

A feeling of betrayal washed over her, shattering the last bit of numbness clinging to her emotions when she saw Yang's unsteady, fiery form standing where she had been struck, fist still in midair where it had impacted her cheek. That was _Yang_ who hit her. Yang, her sister, the only family she had left, had _hit_ her. Ruby couldn't move as the thoughts scattered about her mind, the very concept of Yang striking her so foreign to her worldview it paralyzed her with indecision.

Though her body was frozen, her mind wasn't, and the part of her that remained a huntress at all times saw the singular thing she had not been expecting in Yang's blazing red eyes…tears. Tears were pouring down her face as Yang glared down at Ruby. Tears were as anathema to Ruby's mental image of Yang as the thought of Yang hitting her was, and it hit Ruby like a ton of bricks. Yang was angry with her. Truly, deeply, angry with her.

With that, the self-loathing inside roared back into life, and only her iron will kept her from curling up into a ball at the sheer _misery_ that coated her insides. It felt like her lungs were being squeezed as she realized that Yang was crying because of her, that Yang hit her because she was mad at her, and somewhere inside that quiet little voice said, in its most reasonable tone, that Yang likely hated her.

She deserved that hit. She deserved any strike Yang wanted to hit her with. She deserved every bit of pain, of anguish, anything any of them wanted to inflict upon her. She'd ruined their lives by simply existing. She dropped Crescent Rose, rising to her feet and stood, ready to bear whatever punishment Yang felt she needed to dish out.

"I deserved that," Ruby whispered, lowering her eyes to the sand. She didn't think she could bear to look at those burning red eyes anymore, even knowing she deserved this, she couldn't handle looking at that much rage directed at her.

"Yeah, you fucking _did_!" Yang shot back, before she began stomping towards Ruby. Ruby cringed slightly at the tone in her voice and the incoming steps, expecting the blows to begin raining down on her like she'd seen Yang do to many a punching bag. "You ran off without saying a word, making me think you were fucking _dead!_ Just a week after we lost dad and uncle Qrow too!"

Ruby could see Yang's boots stomp into her line of sight, imagining how Yang looked…fists clenched at her side, hair ablaze, gritted teeth. She winced as Yang continued shouting. " _Eight years!_ Eight fucking years! You've been down here, hunting, helping these people, but you never said a word to any of us! You never said a word…a word to me…" Yang's voice trailed off, her voice becoming thick with emotion.

Against her better judgement, Ruby looked up, and found the red she feared was gone, replaced with watering lilac. No clenched fists, just arms that were hugged around Yang's midsection as she gazed down at the sand, Yang's voice falling to a whisper. "Didn't I matter enough to you to at least tell me you were alive?"

Ruby gulped. She didn't want to talk about why she ran, she never wanted to bring it up. Something told her if she said a word about how she felt, they would never let her live it down until she spoke up, and she _couldn't_ talk about it. She couldn't make herself say the words. So she settled for the one thing she knew she'd become good at…omission.

"Of course you did! I just…I couldn't…I couldn't do it. I couldn't see it. I needed to escape, and I thought you didn't nee-…I mean, I never thought you'd think I was dead. I just left…mom's cloak, that's all."

"Yes! And you never go anywhere without that! What else did you think I would think, seeing that and the fires and the sires and everything gone to hell!" Yang threw her arms out wide as though she were encompassing the entire world. "Everything was death and destruction and Dust knows what, and you disappeared! Without your most prized possession! When you were little if anyone took that cloak from you you'd wail for hours until you got it back! What was I supposed to think?"

Ruby grit her teeth, trying to hold back, but she couldn't let it go, not this time. "I don't fucking know! I never knew! I didn't know what to do then, I don't know what to do now, I still don't know anything! Hell I'm not sure of what I've been doing for the past eight years! All I know is I can't stand it! _I can't stand it anymore!_ Maybe Remnant wasn't totally destroyed, but _my world_ was! And everything I lived for, everything I wanted to be, I lost that in Atlas! I didn't know what to do, ok? Is that what you want to hear? I didn't know Yang, I just…didn't know."

Silence stretched across the desert. Blake and Weiss hadn't spoken since Yang had first confronted Ruby, but as the two sisters did nothing but glare at each other, tears sparkling in Yang's eyes, Blake opened her mouth to speak but Yang moved before she could.

Ruby flinched, expecting a blow to come, but all she felt were surprisingly gentle arms wrapping around her shoulders, and a head come burying itself in her neck. Instinctively, she wrapped hers back around Yang's, ignoring the ache as her scar tissue over her shoulders stretched as she burrowed into the warmth she remembered from years ago.

"I missed you, Rubes. Dust, I missed you so much," Yang sobbed into Ruby's shoulder, making Ruby sniffle as she held back a few tears of her own gathering in the corner of her eyes. Maybe she couldn't tell Yang everything, maybe she was afraid to say how she really felt, but she could say one thing and mean it.

"I…I missed you too, Yang."

Yang lost it at that, her quiet sobs turning into loud bawling as she squeezed Ruby tightly. A small part of Ruby noted the irony… _she_ was the one comforting Yang now, instead of the other way around. Time really does change all things, she supposed.

Blake did step forward finally, her voice cracking slightly from the dry heat around them. "Maybe…maybe we should go back to the city? We can rest and, if you guys are ok with it, go back to Atlas tomorrow?"

Yang nodded rapidly into Ruby's shoulder, before she released Ruby and stood straight, wiping at her nose with her sleeve. Weiss crinkled her nose in disgust at the sight, making a tiny smile flit onto Ruby's face at just the _normalcy_ of Weiss doing that. Weiss spoke, sidling slightly closer to Ruby's side as circumspectly as she could.

"C-certainly. If Ruby thinks it's a good idea."

Blake turned to look at Ruby, eyebrow arched in question. Ruby took a deep breath, glancing around at the desert surrounding her, her home for the past eight years. She trembled for a brief second, closing her eyes tightly. Letting out the deep breath, she opened them again. "Ok. Let's go."

She'd already decided she'd go back with them, whether Yang had kept hitting her or not. If it made them happier, at least she'd get some use out of her miserable, pathetic existence. She was a substitute person, after all.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18, eh? Hope you enjoy! Longer authors note at the bottom so people can just skip over it if they aren't interested. Also, movie was Elizabethtown for those who wondered.

Yang wasn't sure how to act. Awkward didn't even begin to describe the walk back to the city, with Ruby being limited in speed due to her leg injury. Yang was worried about the fact it didn't seem to be healing, but every time she asked Ruby brushed her off, saying it would heal soon enough. Not that Yang felt all that great herself…the impact with the cliff had robbed her of her Aura, and she was covered in Dust knew how many bruises. Weiss didn't seem that well off either, her energy completely drained by the previous encounter, although that didn't stop her from trying to walk so close to Ruby she nearly tripped every few minutes.

Of the four of them, Blake was the one who was the least injured, and she was trying to be as helpful as possible by taking Yang and Weiss' packs. Ruby wouldn't give hers over, and Blake didn't push the issue. But the conversation was stunted at best, with Ruby replying to most questions or statements with nothing but a noncommittal noise or monosyllabic answers.

Yang could only close her eyes as she let out a deep sigh and wish for a stiff drink. She slid her hand into her pocket, grasping the flask tightly. She ran her fingers over the stylized gear engraved into the metal, before releasing it reluctantly. Opening her eyes, she rocked back slightly at how close Blake had gotten, Blake's inquisitive gaze seeking her own. Blake's eyes dropped down to the pocket Yang's hand was in, watching as Yang withdrew her hand, empty handed. Blake seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, before giving Yang a small smile and nod.

Yang didn't have time to contemplate Blake's actions as the group rounded a corner of the wall and the city came into view. In the midafternoon sun, the city was bustling with activity, and even as far back as they were from it, they could hear the sounds of the citizenry going about their daily lives. Ruby had stopped in place, staring up at the massive edifice before her.

"Is something wrong?" Blake asked.

Ruby shook her head slightly in negation. "Nah, not really. Just…hadn't seen the city during the day. Only been in it once, after escorting a caravan, and we came in pretty late at night. It's kind of impressive. Most of the kingdom is tiny villages and hamlets. Just not used to this."

"We heard about the caravan. That's how we knew where you were," Yang added cautiously.

Ruby arched an eyebrow. "Oh? You found Ophi?"

Blake nodded. "Yes. She was very effusive in her praise of you." Blake perceptively noted the tiny flinch Ruby gave at Blake's statement. She narrowed her eyes, thinking back to what Sun had said. "Lots of people spoke very highly of you. We heard that you were considered the best huntress Vacuo had seen in many years."

Ruby looked away, snorting disbelievingly. "Yeah, right."

"She's telling the truth!" Weiss piped up. "And of course it's true. You're Ruby Rose."

" _Don't_ call me that!" Ruby snapped, making Weiss jolt backward in shock. Ruby let out a sigh, closing her eyes and rubbing her head with one hand. "Sorry. Just…don't call me by my last name. Please."

"Um, why?" Yang asked, confused.

"It's not important. Just don't, ok?" Ruby said with finality.

"Ruby…" Yang began, until she was cut off by Ruby swiping her hand sideways in a silencing gesture.

" _Don't_."

Yang gulped, sharing a look with Blake. Blake shrugged. While she knew some of Ruby's mental issues thanks to Sun, this one she had no idea about. Weiss seemed to shake it off, an unnaturally pleasant smile on her face as she sidled up close to Ruby again.

"If that's what you want!" Weiss replied in a chipper tone.

Ruby glanced at Weiss, bemused at her tone. "Um…yeah. That is. Thanks." Weiss just nodded, before she reached out and wrapped her arms around Ruby's upper arm, practically gluing herself to Ruby's side. Ruby gulped at the sudden, cool presence pressed up against her, wincing slightly as Weiss pressed too hard against her arm. She shook her confusion off. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Hugging my partner, of course! We're partners again, we should stay close."

"You're…a bit too close," Ruby remarked, leaning away from Weiss slightly and trying to tug her arm back.

"Nonsense! You used to do this sort of thing to me all the time back at Beacon!" Weiss' smile was beatific, with the tiniest gleam in her eyes Ruby wasn't used to.

"Weiss, I think you're hurting her," Blake said quietly. Weiss blinked rapidly in Blake's directly, confused as Blake meaningfully glanced at the way Ruby was wincing. Weiss looked up at Ruby's face, then back down at her shoulder and gasped, releasing her arm.

"I-I'm sorry! Did you hurt your shoulder during the fight?" Weiss asked worriedly.

"Something like that. Forget it, it's ok. Can we just go into the city now? I don't like crowds, so if we could get to wherever we're staying quickly, I'd appreciate it." Ruby said, smoothly rolling her shoulder. Blake gave another worried glance at Ruby's shoulder, but bit her tongue. She'd bring it up later, when the rest weren't around.

"Yeah. We're staying with team SSSN. Is that ok?" Blake asked Ruby, watching her carefully for a reaction.

Ruby shrugged. "That's fine. I've heard they've done good work. Well, Sun and Sage. Don't hear much about Scarlet or Neptune."

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but Blake elbowed her in the side. Yang glared at Blake ruefully, but Blake just put one finger over her mouth in a shushing gesture. She pulled Yang down slightly, her lips brushing against Yang's ear as she whispered _'Let Sun explain it if he wants. Let's not add more on top of the rest right now._ ' Yang had trouble focusing on the words Blake was saying, feeling the warm, feather-light touch on her ear, the breath that fanned out over her neck making her shiver slightly. She shook her head to clear the fog in it and gulped, before nodding at Blake, trying to ignore the heat creeping up in her face.

Blake glanced at her, but shrugged as though dismissing the matter before turning back towards Ruby and Weiss, who were looking at the two of them curiously. Yang waved them off, before turning back to Ruby. She jerked her head towards the city. "You ready?"

Ruby glanced up and sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

 

Unlike the meetup from the day before, Ruby's arrival at team SSSN's house was muted. Sun had just smiled softly at Ruby, then reached over and ruffled her hair like he always used to back at Beacon. Blake kept a careful eye on her expression, how at first she had winced, then went blank, before finally that old annoyed glare she used to give him flitted onto her face. Blake filed that away as well into her memory. Years of hunting people had given her a very, _very_ strong talent at deciphering facial cues, and that one told her Ruby was scared of something, but wanted to put on a brave face.

Neptune had been hysterical, again, and nearly hugged her within an inch of her life before they managed to warn him about her injuries. He'd immediately wanted to get her checked out by a doctor, but that had been the moment Ruby had looked closest to bolting. The second he mentioned getting her injuries looked at, she'd practically blurred away from him, back to the wall as her eyes darted back and forth as though to look for an escape. The room had fallen silent in shock, everyone but Blake and Sun, who shared a knowing and worried glance.

Ruby tried to brush it off as a fear of needles, but Blake didn't need to have Yang's intimate knowledge of Ruby to know better. Ruby had never had issue with going to the doctor when they went to Beacon. However, any further questioning had been interrupted by Scarlet and Sage, who once again demanded a party to celebrate their return.

It wasn't long into that party that Yang found herself standing on the balcony, glancing out at the silent Hunter's Square. She held the flask in hand, absentmindedly rubbing her finger over the engraving. She was trying to ignore the urge, the desperate desire, but her head was pounding and it was no longer because of a headache. That woman in there, that wasn't Ruby. That wasn't her little sister.

So much had changed. Physically, she looked pretty much the same, except for the addition of a few new scars. But it was the way she moved, the way she spoke, it seemed so…different. Her movement reminded Yang of a wild animal, a predator; smooth, sleek, ready to spring into action at any moment. Every step Ruby took was deliberate, every muscle in her body constantly tensed and ready to fight.

She barely spoke, and when she did it was quiet and muted. Any questions were met with a vague answer at best. And what the hell was up with that name thing? Yang couldn't help but wonder, why did Ruby not want to be called by her last name anymore? She loved being a Rose, loved it so much she'd insisted she keep her mother's last name. Yang remembered how her father had been supportive of that, happy someone would keep Summer's name alive. But the worst part? She wasn't smiling.

Ruby not smiling was something fundamentally _wrong_ with the world. Yang couldn't recall a day she spent with Ruby where she never smiled. Even when Summer had died, and Ruby would cry herself to sleep, she'd try to smile, just for her dad. Sure, this Ruby had 'smiled' after they found her. But it wasn't a genuine Ruby smile. It was something…else.

Yang had enough of this. With a snarl, she flipped the top of the flask open and lifted it up. She just needed a little bit, just enough to take the edge off. Before it reached her lips, a hand landed on her bicep, squeezing tightly. Yang glanced down to see Blake's worried gaze meeting hers. She almost ignored her and took the drink, as the scent wafted to her nose and filled it with the promise of just a few moments of peace. But she couldn't ignore Blake. She never did before; she wouldn't start now.

"What?" Yang asked, her voice gruff with irritation.

"Please don't," came Blake's quiet reply.

"I'm an adult, Blake. I'm allowed to have a drink if I want!" Yang snapped back, feeling irrationally angry for some reason. Intellectually, she knew she was being unfair, but dammit, she needed something! Besides, Blake hadn't been any better earlier that day, being such a damned jerk when she had her hangover.

"Yes, you are. I'm not trying to get you to quit, Yang. I'm just asking for now, until we get back to Atlas…please don't. Ruby needs you."

Yang sighed, lowering the flask slightly. Her head dropped onto her chest as she closed her eyes, shoulders slumped, before whispering so quietly Blake could barely hear. "That's _not_ Ruby."

Blake flinched, but kept her voice gentle and soothing, as much as she could. She owed them after her mistakes earlier in the day. "She's…different, that's for sure. But she's still Ruby, Yang."

Yang looked up at Blake through the fringes of her hair. "You really think she is? Really? Don't lie to me Blake. We both know she doesn't even want to be here." Blake's eyes widened in surprise. Yang let out a humorless snort. "C'mon. I'm not that dense. I know Ruby. She didn't agree to come back because she wants to. She's coming back because we asked her. Hell we practically begged her."

"I…actually did beg her," Blake admitted guiltily.

Yang rolled her eyes. "See? The only one who doesn't see that is Weiss, and you know that's because she's well and truly gone right now. Whatever's wrong with her is taking center stage. She'll agree to anything Ruby says because she's fucking obsessed. You know, before today, I thought you were exaggerating about Weiss' problems. But she's really nuts, isn't she?"

Blake shrugged. "We managed to help Nora, I'm sure we can help Weiss."

"That's not the _point!_ The point is that we're _not_ fixed, we're _not_ ok, we're _not_ happy! Ruby doesn't want to be here, Weiss is in lala land, and you're too busy feeling guilty over what happened earlier to think about it clearly." At Blake's disbelieving look, Yang rolled her eyes. "Eight years or not, I'm _still_ your partner. Whenever you're feeling guilty, your ears get like, half flat or something."

Blake glanced up automatically, but flushed when she realized she couldn't see her own ears. She looked down at the ground, embarrassed. "I…didn't notice."

"Don't be embarrassed. It's kinda cute. _And_ obnoxious at the same time, because you shouldn't be guilty. Well, not for how it ended. But you shoulda asked how Weiss' summons worked before you had her do that stupid thing with the bird." Yang was blunt. She was far too tired and stressed to think about what she was really saying.

"How did you know that would happen, by the way? I don't remember Weiss ever telling us how they worked."

Yang shrugged. "I figured it out during our little 'talk' before we came here. She stabbed one of her own Beowulf's outta anger or something, and it hurt her. Also figured out she's not taking care of herself _at all_ ," Yang snarled that last part, clearly angry.

Blake arched an eyebrow, before nodding meaningfully at the flask in Yang's hand. "And that's taking care of _yourself_?"

Yang glanced down at the flask for a moment as though she had forgotten she had it, before she let out a rueful chuckle. "Ok, little bit hypocritical I guess." She gave Blake a once over. "Not that you're much better."

"I've skipped a meal or two, sure, and I still stay up too late when I read, but all in all, pretty sure I'm doing better than all three of you combined." Blake said as she crossed her arms over her chest, a tiny smile on her face.

"Brag brag brag," Yang mocked gently. She took another glance at the flask in hand, before flipping the cap back on and stowing it in her pocket. "Alright. I'll…hold off on that. It's not like I really want to."

"Then why?"

"…because it lets me sleep. It lets me feel warm. It lets me forget, for a little bit, all the bullshit."

Blake sighed. "You sound like Pyrrha."

Yang smirked. "Not a bad woman to be like."

Blake didn't smile in return as she looked up at Yang, her voice a whisper. "I don't want another Pyrrha. I want Yang."

Yang gulped as her eyes met Blake's, feeling strangely out of breath. The air seemed to become hotter, oppressive, as the two locked their eyes. Yang felt that strange electricity sparking in the air between them, something that made her feel warm inside, in a way she hadn't since back at Beacon. The way Blake had said that, so quiet but so honest, it made Yang's heart skip a beat, her breath catch in her throat.

"Yo! You two coming in to eat or what?" Scarlet called from inside, his voice carrying out to the two on the balcony. Yang jumped in surprise, glaring down at Blake who muffled a giggle behind her hand as Yang nearly tripped over the chair beside her. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we're coming."

* * *

 

"Weiss, what do you think you are doing?"

Weiss stood with her hands on her hips and a haughty expression on her face. "I'm getting ready for bed, dolt! What does it look like?"

Ruby glanced down at the chair. "I thought you said I could have this chair to sleep in because I prefer sleeping outside."

Weiss scoffed. "Of course. I've got no problem with that."

Ruby gestured at the chair. "Then _why_ is your blanket on the chair?"

"So I can sleep! Geez Ruby, you're smarter than this." Weiss rolled her eyes.

Ruby blinked. And then blinked a second time. "You want to sleep…with me?"

"I'm your partner! I should be sleeping next to you!" Weiss nodded as though her declaration made it so.

"Weiss, this is the first day we've spoken in eight years. I haven't been around people, much less sleeping with them, for a very, _very_ long time. And you want to sleep, in this tiny lawn chair, somehow fitting both of us on it, together?"

"Yes!"

Ruby was at a loss for words. Glancing pleadingly into the doorway, all she saw was Sun throwing his hands up and walking away, clearly not wanting to get involved. She sighed heavily. "Look, the chair won't fit both of us. How about you take the chair, I'll just sleep on the floor."

Weiss scoffed. "If one of us must sleep on the floor, it will be me, not you. I- "

" _Weiss!_ " Weiss froze midsentence. Ruby said her name in such a commanding way Weiss couldn't help but listen. She shivered slightly at the strange feeling that washed over her when Ruby said her name like that. "I will take the floor. You take the chair. Agreed?"

Weiss nodded rapidly, not trusting herself to speak. She felt so strange inside…it was both pleasant and disturbing, the desire inside her to do whatever Ruby said after she said it in that tone. She gulped, before quickly flitting over to the chair and carefully laying in it, watching as Ruby tossed her pack on the ground and spread out a blanket over the ground. Ruby arched her back, stretching out as her arms raised over her head. A popping sound rang out as Ruby gave a satisfied sigh, her earlier wounds having slowly healed over the course of their dinner as far as Weiss could tell.

Ruby lay down fluidly, Weiss eagerly watching as she moved. It was like watching a hunting cat curl up, the way she moved. Ruby glanced up at Weiss, meeting her eyes and arching an eyebrow as she noticed Weiss was staring.

"Something the matter?" Ruby asked, making Weiss glance away, pink rising to her cheeks.

"N-no, nothing. Let's go to sleep."

Ruby made a noncommittal noise of agreement, before laying her head down on her pack carefully. She crossed her arms behind her head and gazed upward at the night sky, her thoughts slowly floating away from her as she felt exhaustion creep up. Her eyelids drooped, the twinkling lights above blurring, as she drifted off into blackness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've gotten a lot of comments both praising me for my portrayal of Ruby's feelings, and many a person who says they understand how she feels. Well, confession time, although this isn't in any way news to those who have read some of my other works; I have severe depression. I've had it now for eighteen years, since I was ten. Now, over these years, I've become much better at managing it, and not only is my life much better than Ruby's is in this one, but I handle my depression in a much more safe and healthy manner than she is. But not once do I forget how it felt when I was at my lowest, down in that dark pit. So, my personal experiences with it, I am admittedly using them to portray Ruby's feelings. So, hope that explains how I am coming up with the way Ruby is feeling. But as I said, I'm much better off than she is in this fic heh. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you in the next one!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back already, eh? Luckily for ya'll, even though Overwatch has already stolen my soul, I still gotta take breaks from it from time to time, so...yay new chapter! Hope you enjoy the continous extreme slow burn of this...and the angst. :P

Ruby grumbled to herself as she felt her mind beginning to make its way away from the land of dreams. For the first time in a long time, she'd not had nightmares. She'd slept an entirely dreamless sleep, void of anything but the comfort of the dark. She sighed as she felt herself waking, her mind slowly piecing together the events of the day before. She curled both her arms underneath the pack she was using as a pillow and pulled it closer, snuggling down into it and into the arms around her midsection…wait…what?

Ruby's eyes snapped open and she burst into action, attempting to roll to her left to reach Crescent Rose. This practically dragged along whoever was behind her with their arms around her midsection, causing Ruby to flail her arms as tried to move and only succeeded in rolling onto her stomach, dragging someone else on top of her. White hair appeared in her vision as a small yawn sounded out behind her, making Ruby's eyes twitch as she realized what was going on.

She slowly rolled back over, coming face to face with Weiss' sleeping visage, the white-haired woman's arms wrapped about Ruby's midsection in a surprisingly tight grip. Even with all the commotion Ruby had caused, Weiss stayed asleep, her face calm and relaxed. A small smile graced the older woman's lips as she grumbled something and scooted closer to Ruby, snuggling into her.

Ruby's eye twitched a second time. _'What…the…fuck?_ ' was the only thing running through her mind at the moment. By Dust, Weiss was someone entirely different now. It was…disturbing, to say the least. Ok, sure, she could admit she had changed a lot too, but this wasn't some gradual shift, this was a pure one eighty from how she was eight years back. Weiss was a woman who desired very little physical affection. Though she had relented and had even admitted to enjoying hugs from her teammates, she had still limited the number of them.

And yet, here she was, practically glued to Ruby's side, somehow having migrated from the chair and down onto Ruby's blanket. All without waking Ruby. That was the second strangest part to Ruby. She was generally a light sleeper, almost any little thing waking her up, but for some reason she had slept deeply, without a single dream or nightmare or memory plaguing her.

Weiss burrowed her head in Ruby's chest, making the younger woman flush slightly as Weiss nuzzled her nose directly between Ruby's breasts. _Now_ this was getting very, _very_ awkward and bringing to Ruby's mind memories of certain feelings she'd long ago decided to throw out. She knew that whatever faults Weiss had, she was by far too good for someone like Ruby.

This was getting to be too much. The entire team was getting to be too much. She could feel cracks forming in that barrier she'd tried her damndest to put up between herself and her feelings, leaking emotions she wasn't ready for and she never wanted to be ready for. Ruby planted her hands on Weiss' shoulders and began shoving, trying to get her to release her grip, but found her eye twitching for the third time as Weiss just latched on tighter. For someone who had clearly not been keeping up with her physical training, Weiss was surprisingly strong when it came to keeping ahold of Ruby.

 _'Ok, enough of this,'_ Ruby thought to herself. She closed her eyes and summoned her Semblance, shaping it as carefully as she could before pushing it out, the force of wind generated by it finally unlatching Weiss' grip and shoving the white-haired woman back slightly. Weiss woke with a startled squeal as she rolled over, nearly rolling into the chair before Ruby blurred over and caught her, stopping her momentum and hovering partially over her.

Weiss looked up at Ruby with bleary eyes, giving a tiny yawn as she rubbed at her eyes. "Ruby?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the part of her deep down that squealed slightly at the cuteness factor. She'd always had a weakness for cute things, which was precisely why she'd always loved having pets when she was younger. She shook her head, clearing out the conflicting feelings and settling on her annoyance. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" Weiss tilted her head in confusion.

"Why were you in my bed?!" Ruby growled, glaring down at Weiss.

Weiss flinched slightly at Ruby's tone. "W-well, I was cold, and you…you seemed warm, and I just wanted to be next to you. That's all. We're partners after all."

Ruby gaped at Weiss. "Who are you and what have you done with Weiss?"

"What are you talking about? I am Weiss!"

Ruby scoffed. "Weiss doesn't try to cuddle with me. Weiss doesn't hug me and nearly suffocate me from it. Weiss doesn't spend all her time doing whatever I say. For fucks sake, what the hell happened to you?!"

Weiss blinked at Ruby's vehemence. She gulped, face twitching slightly, before her expression settled into a fully placid one, devoid of any emotion. "If I tell, you have to tell."

Ruby shook her head rapidly. "You already know what I've been doing. I've been hunting down here."

"That's not what I mean. I mean what you've been doing. How you've been living. What happened down here. If I tell, you tell."

"…you're calm again. How come you're suddenly calm and not all crazy hugs and shit?"

Weiss shrugged as best as she could, laying on the ground as she was. "Sometimes things are clearer for me. Sometimes they aren't. Right now it's clear, so if you want to talk, now is a good time."

Ruby let out a deep sigh. "So you just up and switch between weird Weiss and calm Weiss on a whim?"

"Are you really going to waste this conversation time on stupid questions like that, dolt?"

Ruby blinked, before a tiny smile crept across her face. "Ok, now _that_ sounds like the Weiss I knew."

Weiss reached up and flicked Ruby on the forehead, making Ruby go cross-eyed as she followed Weiss' finger. The older woman gave a quiet chuckle, before her face settled into passivity again. "And that sounds like Ruby. Now, do we have a deal?"

Ruby blinked once, twice. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden cough got her attention from the doorway. Neptune stood in the doorway, two glasses in his hands filled with what looked like orange juice, and red staining his cheeks as he looked anywhere but at the two laying on the ground.

"Um…am I interrupting?" he asked.

Ruby glanced down, before realizing the position the two were in. Weiss was laying on her back on the ground, arms above her head, gazing up at Ruby who was hovering over Weiss' prone form, her arms forming a cage around Weiss' head. Ruby groaned in embarrassment, sitting up and planting both hands over her face as she rocked back on her heels. Silently, Neptune reached out and held out a glass to Ruby, who reached out and took it without looking up as she kept her head in her palm.

Weiss sat up with dignity, seeming to ignore the entire situation and took the glass from Neptune. She took a quick sip, before placing it down next to herself and folding her hands in her lap. She arched an eyebrow at Neptune, who quickly took the hint and vanished back inside. Turning to look at the still Ruby, she spoke again. "Maybe we should have this conversation back in Atlas. I'm…I'm not actually sure how long this is going to last."

Ruby lifted her head up, noticing how Weiss' cheek muscle twitched slightly. "Weiss…are you ok? Answer me honestly. That's all I need to know right now."

Weiss let out a deep sigh. She could feel the voices in the back of her mind, felt it like a constant drumming on her skull. A headache was slowly forming behind her eyes, making her squeeze her eyes tight as she tried to block out the sounds long enough to think clearly. She spoke slow, steadily, not letting the noise disrupt her speech. "I don't know. I know it's hard to think clearly most of the time. I know I'm not thinking straight. Even now, I'm not sure I'm thinking straight. But I want to find myself again. I just don't think I can do it without you around. I…I need you to keep me moving forward. You're my partner, I trust you. Even now I still trust you. Even after you lied to me, I trust you. Please don't leave again."

Ruby flinched, before carefully forcing a blank expression onto her face. Weiss' words were like an arrow to her heart, a clear indicator this was all her fault Weiss was so messed up. A tiny voice in the back of her head said that wasn't what Weiss had meant, but Ruby ignored it. She _had_ broken her teams trust in her when she ran. She didn't know any of this would happen, but it was clearly her fault. She was responsible.

Taking a deep breath, she shoved those thoughts into the back of her mind. She'd deal with herself later, when she was alone. For now, she had to help Weiss. She owed her…plus it was her duty as a substitute to do what was necessary.

"I won't. I'll stay. I'll…help you."

Weiss' eyes watered for a split second, before a wide grin spread across her face as her entire body seemed to shake. She leapt forward, nearly knocking her glass of juice over as she wrapped her arms around Ruby's shoulders. Burying her face in Ruby's neck, she began babbling joyously. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Ruby! I knew I could count on you! I just knew it!"

Ruby sighed internally as she realized Weiss had reverted again. Still, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Weiss, returning the hug as she cursed herself inside for being so pathetic and hurting her team like she had. She patted Weiss on the back, looking up at the sky, thinking only that she regretted ever agreeing to go to Beacon two years early. If she hadn't maybe the other three would have had a real leader, someone they could rely on, not her. Not the failure.

* * *

"So, we're going back today?" Yang asked Blake, keeping a careful eye on her sister. Ruby had been sitting out on the chair on the balcony the entire morning. She'd asked Weiss very nicely if she'd let her have some alone time, which Weiss had begrudgingly granted. Sort of. Weiss was sitting just inside the doorway, watching Ruby like a hawk, her arms crossed over her chest as she pouted.

Blake shrugged. "That was the plan."

Sage stepped into the room, hair wet from having just left the shower. He reached into the fridge for a bottle of water and took a deep draught, before lowering it and clearing his throat to get the duo's attention. "You are free to turn this down if you want, but…I'm headed to the memorial again today. Before you leave, would you like to see it?"

Blake turned to Sage, expression carefully neutral. She had noticed how Ruby had stiffened when Sage had spoken, how Yang's eyes went wide, and how Weiss had dropped her arms and turned her head slightly. "The one for the fallen hunters, you mean?"

Sage nodded gravely, keeping his eyes locked with Blake's. "I have not seen all of the memorial stones. But I'm told all hunters who fell during the Fall have a spot. If there is anyone who you lost, well…they most likely have a space."

Blake didn't even notice Ruby move, but she felt the wind blowing past her as Ruby's form appeared at her side. A single rose petal appeared in her wake, which Weiss practically leapt out of her seat to catch. Weiss cupped it gently in her hands and curled them towards her chest, standing up straight and looking over at Sage as well.

"I'd…I'd like to see it, if you'd take me," Ruby said quietly.

Yang placed a careful hand on Ruby's shoulder, ignoring the stab of pain in her heart when Ruby flinched. "I think I'll go too."

Blake looked back to see Weiss' gaze meeting hers. A single nod was all Weiss gave, before Blake turned back to Sage. "I think we'd all like to go. If that's ok."

Sage gave a small smile, nodding at them. "That's fine. The airship pads will be on the way back, so I'd suggest saying your goodbyes to the other three before we leave."

* * *

It hadn't taken them long to say their goodbyes. Neptune had made Blake promise to call them, now that communication was slightly more stable. Sun had simply smiled at them all and hugged them gently, before whispering in Blake's ear "Everything will be alright. I believe in you guys."

Blake was glad of that encouragement, because the trip to the memorial had them all on edge. Yang was fidgeting over and over, Weiss kept biting her lip, and Ruby had practically retreated into her brown cloak. Sage had brought them to the far back of the city, only a few dozen meters away from the waterfall where a simple wooden lift was constructed. It looked well maintained, and it only took a single pull from Sage to set the ballasts in motion, lifting them up towards the top of the cliff.

It seemed like only moments before they reached the cliff top, making their eyes widen at the sight. A massive plain, covered in soft grass and scattered wild flowers met their eyes, running alongside the river that fed the waterfall into the city. The scent of clear water mixed with the numerous flowers, giving the air a heavy feeling as they breathed in.

Sage gave them a moment to take in the wild beauty of the region, before he cleared his throat and nodded his head calmly. "This way." The four women followed him as he followed a well-worn path, made up of rocks embedded in the ground below. It took them only a few minutes to reach their destination…a hill with a series of small round stones, shaped similarly to gravestones, lined up in order. Each set of stones were on a separate level, a small set of stairs leading up between them, up to a large gazebo at the top of the small hill.

Upon arrival, they realized they weren't alone. A single solitary man stood with his back to them, light-brown hair combed back as he gazed down at a stone, hands clasped behind his back. Sage raised a hand up in greeting. "Hey, Dove."

The man turned around, eyes going wide as he saw the four women standing behind Sage. "…Sage? Are they- "

"Team RWBY? Yeah."

"Oh. Hey. Haven't seen you four in a long time." He gave a small, sad smile to them, his surprise having already faded within moments.

"Dove? As in, Dove Bronzewing from CRDL?" Yang asked, eyebrow raised.

He chuckled. "Yeah, that Dove. How have you been?"

Yang gulped, running one hand through her hair as she glanced away from him. Blake stepped forward, plastering a smile on her face. "We're alright. What…what are you doing up here?"

His smile faded slightly as he glanced back down at the stone he was standing by. "Guess you didn't hear. Not surprising, with all the shit that went down. Cardin…he's here. Russel too. Just me and Sky left."

"O-oh," was Blake's only response, not really sure how to reply.

He waved off any further reply. "It's ok. Been a long time. Me and Sky are doing alright. We're running a farm together; can you believe that?" He gave a sad laugh. "Cardin would give us so much shit for that, but hey…keeps people fed. Can't be unhappy about that. I even got married. So yeah, not all that bad."

"That…that sounds lovely. Congratulations," Weiss said, speaking for the first time since they had left SSSN's house. Dove nodded to her.

"So, who are you here to visit?" He asked.

"We're…not sure if they are here. Family, they…died in Vale," Yang said in a subdued tone.

Dove looked up at the sky contemplatively for a moment, hand on his chin. He cocked his head to the side. "Your last name is Xiao Long, right? I saw a stone for a Xiao Long. It's up a couple levels, near the top of the ridge. South side, maybe? Maybe that's it?"

Yang looked over at Ruby, her head perked up as she stared directly at the area Dove had indicated. Sage took a moment to place his hands on Yang and Blake's shoulder carefully, leaning in to speak. "I'm going to go visit my friends. You guys can find your way from here, right?"

Blake reached up and placed her hand over Sage's, nodding. "We'll be fine, Sage. We'll see you again, alright?"

Sage nodded, smiling down at her. "Take care guys." He squeezed their shoulders for extra emphasis before he strode off around the other side of the hill.

"Thanks for the information, Dove," Blake said, smiling at Dove. She couldn't stay mad at him for what his teen self had been like, not when he stood there with the sadness coming off him in waves.

He lifted a hand up in acknowledgement. "No problem. Hope you find what you're looking for."

Blake took a deep breath, turning to look at the other three. Ruby had yet to move her gaze away from the direction Dove had pointed. Weiss had her eyes trained on Ruby's, but they didn't seem possessive again so much as worried. Yang took a deep breath, before her hand slid down and grabbed Ruby's, squeezing gently. For the first time since Ruby had returned, she didn't flinch when Yang touched her. Instead, Yang felt the tiniest bit of return pressure as Ruby just barely squeezed back, before she softly removed her hand from Yang's.

"Let's go," Ruby said softly, heading towards the stairs leading up.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20! Wow. Just, the more I look at the reception this story has received, the more amazed I am at how well its done. Its pretty much my most popular story yet. I just want to thank each and every one of you who has said such wonderful things about this story. I hope it continues to be what you all want to see. Without further ado, chapter 20.

Ruby stood over the small, unremarkable stone that had 'Taiyang Xiao Long' engraved on it. Right beside it, 'Qrow Branwen'. Yang was beside her, one arm over Ruby's shoulder. Ruby had leaned into the side hug, her head resting on Yang's shoulder as Yang rested hers on Ruby's head, the two simply comforting each other silently. Neither had moved for the past five minutes, just staring. Blake wished she could say something, but she knew better.

She hadn't known either of them very well, but it wasn't hard to see how much they meant to Ruby and Yang. She'd never really known her own parents, closest thing she'd had to family was Adam. For her, these three women were her family, the only real family she'd ever had. But she desperately wished she could do something for them, something to help ease the pain, because every time she glanced at either silver or lilac, she had to turn away when she saw the depth of pain buried inside them.

Only three stones away lay Glynda's stone, where Weiss was currently slowly walking past. Beside Glynda were stones for Port, Oobleck, Peach…every teacher who perished in the fall of Vale seemed to be on this same set of stones, all aligned perfectly with each other. Blake and Weiss had shared one miserable glance when the other two had become statues, and in silent agreement they had decided they would give them some space and peruse the others.

Blake chose to take the stairs down to the level right below the one the other three were on, and turned to the right to walk past the stones along the path. A name caught her eye…James Ironwood. She gave a tiny bow as she passed the stone, remembering his heroics and desperate attempts to save Atlas. The sacrifice of his airships had been what had enabled Ozpin to pull the remaining refugees out of the city to safety, and Blake never could forget that moment when she saw the capital dreadnaught of the fleet breaking apart midair, a Nevermore more massive than she had ever seen bursting through it.

As Blake chose to continue down the trail, she stopped, eyes going wide as she saw the next stone. Glancing up at the still silent sisters and then across to Weiss, who had bowed her head and clasped her hands together in silent memory of the teachers, she cleared her throat. Neither sister reacted, but Weiss looked up, eyes with the faintest trace of redness from blinking back tears. Blake glanced down at the stone before her, back up to Weiss, and then back down in an obvious indication Weiss should come see.

Curious, Weiss walked quietly to Blake's side. Blake stepped back, giving Weiss room as the white-haired woman glanced down. Her gasp was loud enough to break the sister's concentration, as Yang and Ruby turned around just in time to see Weiss collapse to her knees. She reached out, tears in her eyes, and ran her fingers over the simply carved name in the stone. 'Winter Schnee'.

It didn't take a genius for Ruby or Yang to figure out what she had seen, and Weiss' tears seemed to be the trigger for their own loss of self-control. Yang blinked rapidly, looking up at the sky and breathing heavily, seemingly trying to prevent herself from crying. Ruby didn't bother, slumping forward and planting her face in her hands, her quiet sobs obvious to Blake's sensitive ears.

Blake's heart ached in ways she didn't know it could, seeing these three suffering as they were. She wanted to help, she wanted to fix it, but no power on Remnant could bring back the dead. Sure, she felt some sadness from all those she had known, but she hadn't had the bonds with them these three had. And if she were honest with herself, she'd long ago come to terms with the many deaths that had come about from the Fall. These three, it was obvious they never had.

Blake was startled from her ruminations by Weiss climbing to unsteady footing, her foot nearly slipping on the smooth rock path below her. Blake took a step forward, ready to stabilize her, but Weiss raised a hand to halt her. Slowly, that hand turned upside down, her palm facing upward, a clear indicator Weiss wanted Blake to take her hand.

Blake was confused, but followed along, grasping Weiss' hand gently. Weiss pulled her with her back up the stairs, until they stood level with Ruby and Yang. With her free hand, Weiss softly took Ruby's hand and pulled it from her face, tugging her to stand by her other side. Ruby gave her a confused look between the tears, but Weiss kept her head bowed so no one could see her face. Yang glanced back down at the three holding hands, but was startled by Weiss' voice, quiet and solemn in the stillness of the memorial.

"Ruby, Blake, take Yang's hand."

Blake decided to follow along, reaching her hand out cautiously to Yang. Yang placed her hand in Blake's, squeezing tightly, as she turned to look at Ruby. Ruby glanced down at her free hand, then scanned across at the other joined hands. Taking a deep breath, she slid her hand out and took Yang's, completing the circle of women.

They stood for a brief moment in perfect stillness, Weiss' head still bowed, before a tinkling chime sounded from below them. A slowly spinning white glyph formed between the four, before it expanded outward in a flash, ending up completely covering the area they were standing on. Before the three could react, a singular figure began to form, white particles coalescing into small bird. It gave off a chirp, before it began to fly, circling the four women. A second, then a third, a fourth, more and more and more began to coalesce around them, spiraling around them in streaks of white and blue.

Blake could only watch in amazement as a veritable storm of birds spiraled about up into the sky, the sunlight glinting off their white forms as they flew at incredible speeds. As they reached the apex of the tornado, they burst into softly glowing snowflakes, falling down slowly to dissipate right above the women. Weiss gave a single sniffle, and the rune shattered, all the birds dissipating at the same time. A blanket of snowflakes fell towards them, disappearing into the air as Weiss took a deep breath.

They stood stock still, before Weiss lifted her head with a sad smile, trails of tears clinging to her cheeks. "Win…Winter used to do that for me, when I was a kid. I always liked the birds the most. She wouldn't want me to stay sad, she'd want me to go on. And I think…I think your dad would have wanted that for you two too." Weiss made as if to let go of their hands, but Ruby's quick squeeze on hers had her keeping her grip on the red-head as she glanced curiously at Ruby.

"Thanks, Weiss," Ruby whispered, turning her head to meet Weiss' eyes. A true spark of gratitude was lit in her eyes, and Weiss' smile turned a degree warmer at the sight. She nodded, this time releasing Ruby's hand without an interruption, looking over to meet Yang's teary gaze. Yang sniffled, dropping Ruby and Blake's hands and stepping forward, her arms out wide as she dragged all three in for a hug.

"Ow! Yang!" Ruby whined, her voice reverting to a teenagers for a moment as she struggled to escape. Weiss muffled something that was most likely rude, but with her face squeezed between the other two her voice was too muffled to make out. Blake only gave a small sigh and eye roll, knowing better than to struggle with a Yang bear hug. Yang was openly crying now as she held the other three, completely impervious to Ruby and Weiss' attempts to pull away.

Weiss stopped struggling after a moment, accepting the hug and the warmth it provided. Sometimes, you just had to give in and let Yang do what she wanted…plus, not that she'd ever admit it, she could use a hug right now. Yang hugs were different from most peoples. When Yang gave you a hug, you knew for a fact she meant it in every way you could. Yang wore her heart on her sleeve, and when she hugged you, she was saying she _cared_. Weiss was happy to have that reminder, just for this one moment after what she'd just done.

When Yang released them, Weiss nearly fell down, her shaky legs not supporting her anymore. Ruby was at her side in a flash, gripping her arm and holding her in place. Weiss glanced over to see Ruby looking at her worriedly. She gripped Ruby's arm and hauled herself upright, leaning slightly on the younger woman. Her mind had felt clear since she'd arrived at the memorial, so she found herself trying not to get too close to Ruby. It wasn't like she had missed the signs Ruby clearly didn't enjoy being touched anymore, with how she always leaned away from people, or how she flinched when people were to touch her.

Blake cleared her throat, stepping forward. "I'm not trying to rush anything, I'm fine staying here with you guys as long as you want, but I just want to ask if you're ready to leave."

Weiss nodded solemnly as she separated from Ruby's side. "I…I've said my goodbyes. I never got the chance before. I'm just glad I was able to."

"…Yeah. I just wanted to see the memorial, make sure it did them justice. Was gonna have to break something if it didn't," Yang's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as her gaze kept shifting back to the stones behind her. As one, the three turned to Ruby, who had turned away from them to gaze down at Taiyang's stone again.

Ruby took in a deep breath, eyes closed, holding it in for a brief moment before she let it out. "Ok. Let's go. Atlas, right?"

"Yeah. Atlas."

* * *

 As the group approached the airship, still docked at the landing strip, a call of Blake's name got their attention. They turned to the right to see Raine approaching, hand held up in greeting.

"Yo, I see you found her. Ready to fly back?"

Blake nodded, keeping an eye on Ruby who was staring at Raine with a strange look. "If you're ready. I know it's a long flight."

Raine waved her off. "Nah, I do this all the time. Besides, autopilot lets me nap if I gotta, it's all good." She noticed Ruby's keen gaze and quirked an eyebrow. "Something the matter Red?"

"You look familiar. Do I know you?" Ruby asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"Surprised you remember; you were all laid up. Yeah, as I told the other two, I flew you outta Vale years back."

"…the day the airship wasn't ready for our takeoff," Ruby added, narrowing her eyes at Raine.

" _Ruby!_ " Blake hissed, eyes wide as she stepped between the two, hoping to defuse the situation.

Raine stood tall and proud, meeting Ruby's gaze with a steely glare. "You ever flown one of these? You have any idea what goes into making them flight ready? The airship was ready, you four weren't. My copilot was dead, all my ground crew was dead, Grimm were swarming, and I was busy helping drag your broken body into my ship. You think I _liked_ leaving them to die? You think I wanted to? I regret it every day of my life, knowing that. You wanna take your anger out on me, go right ahead. But don't expect me to just sit back and take it."

"Raine, just chill," Blake pleaded, eyes flipping between the two women. Yang took a step closer to Ruby, hand at the ready to try to grab her if she made a move.

"Thank you. For telling me the truth. We were delayed because you had to help bring me in, that's what you're saying, right?" Ruby responded in a sullen voice, eyes dropping to the ground.

Raine rocked back slightly at the sudden change in Ruby's attitude. Her mouth moved uselessly for a moment, before she seemed to catch herself. "Well, no, that's not what I meant- "

"It's ok. Thank you. And thank you for flying us today. May we board?" Ruby asked, turning back to the airship.

"Listen, Red, I didn't mean it- "Blake shushed Raine's attempt at an explanation, shaking her head sadly. Raine sighed, before running her hand through her short hair. "Alright. Yeah, go on board, I'm gonna get the engines going."

The side door slid open as Ruby approached, the other three scrambling to catch up with her. Just as Ruby reached the ship, a sudden bark had her frozen in place. Her eyes slid up from the ground slowly, until they reached the dark eyes of Zwei, tongue hanging out as he panted. He cocked his head to the side as he looked at Ruby.

Blake held in a breath, wondering how this would go. She held her hands out in front of Weiss and Yang, blocking them from approaching Ruby, wanting to see what would happen. Zwei gave a quick sniff, letting out a small grumble as he hopped out of the airship. He landed by Ruby's feet and sniffed them, whuffling around her feet as he kept his nose nearly attached. Ruby hadn't moved a muscle as he examined her, until he stopped in front of her. He looked up, meeting her downfallen gaze, and gave one single happy bark.

It broke Ruby's paralysis as she dropped to her knees, arms out wide in time to catch Zwei as he leapt into her arms, instantly licking her face excitedly. She folded around him, her arms wrapped tightly as she bowed her head into his fur. Ruby began sobbing into Zwei's fur quietly, holding him tightly as he gave small happy growls and slobbered all over her. She ignored the sticky feeling from his tongue, the bad breath, focusing entirely on the feel of _her_ dog, her adorable little pup in her arms. Dust, she hadn't seen him in eight years, she'd been so worried he had died in the Fall, but here he was, safe and sound.

_Zwei_. Her Zwei. Her dog she and Yang had raised together from puppyhood. She still remembered the day she got him, back when she was eight years old. Her dad had been having one of his better days, and he'd brought this boxlike object with him. Covered in a small blanket, he'd set it before her and Yang with a big smile. They'd removed the blanket and in the box…a tiny, gray furred puppy! The best present she'd had in her young life. Zwei had been there for every important event in her life from that day on.

And he didn't hate her. She could feel it; in the way he was acting. It was like he was saying to her he missed her. Not one angry growl, not one condemnation for leaving, just sheer joy at having her back. Dust, she couldn't stop the tears, they kept pouring out of her eyes, one being on the world of Remnant who wouldn't judge her, wouldn't hate her. Here he was. Her little Zwei.

A hand gently touching her shoulder made her start, her mind realizing quickly she was in front of Yang, Weiss, and Blake. She looked up to meet Blake's amber eyes, her vision blurred by her tears. Blake just smiled softly at her. "Hey…how about we get in the airship? I'm sure you can get reacquainted in there."

Ruby wiped at her eyes with one sleeve, sniffling lightly, her other still holding a slightly calmed Zwei against her chest. She nodded, climbing unsteadily to her feet, before taking a step into the airship, the other three close behind.

* * *

 "Hey, girls?" Raine's voice called out from the cockpit.

"They are sleeping. What do you need?" Blake asked, glancing back at her slumbering teammates. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the flight to Vacuo…Yang was snoring slightly, Weiss to her left, but this time with the addition of Ruby on Weiss' other side. Zwei was firmly napping on Ruby's chest, one of her arms curled around him tightly as she leaned back against the wall. Weiss had her head on Ruby's shoulder and one arm carefully resting on Zwei as well. Blake didn't need to be a mind reader to know Zwei was probably ecstatic at all the attention he was getting, not to mention getting all his girls back.

Raine's voice broke her reverie again. "We're nearing Atlas space now. Maybe thirty minutes out. You wanna wake them up?"

Blake contemplated for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, I think- "her reply was cut off by a sudden loud ringing coming from her scroll, jolting the other three awake. Yang sat straight up, eyes wide open and arms pulled up in a half-hearted boxing pose. Weiss tumbled out of her chair, landing ungracefully on the floor as Ruby bolted to her feet, her hands instinctively reaching for Crescent Rose even though she'd stowed it on the other side of the craft.

"Blake, what the hell is that racket?" Weiss demanded grumpily from the floor, trying to find her feet again but her newly awoken body was slightly unsteady.

"It's an emergency alarm. I need to answer this, please hold on," Blake replied absently, flipping her scroll open.

Jaune's voice came from the scroll, his tone frantic. "Shield calling Shadow, Shield calling Shadow. Shadow, do you copy?"

"Shadow here. What's wrong?"

"Raine's last communication puts you near Atlas. How close are you?"

Blake narrowed her eyes at the scroll. "Raine said thirty minutes out, give or take. Jaune, what's wrong?"

"That town where Yang was staying before, the one in the semi-circle of rubble? It's under _massive_ Grimm attack. The hunter we stationed there is overwhelmed and calling for backup, he had to retreat the populace back to the tavern and has barricaded it for now. We'd send the rest of my team, but the Grimm also launched an attack on the Project zone too, we can't split them up. We can't leave them to die Blake! Can you get to them?"

Blake glanced up at Raine. "How quickly can you get us there?"

"If I knew where _there_ was, I'd have you there asap."

"Sending you the coordinates now, Raine," Jaune replied, having clearly heard her response.

"Receiving now. Hmm…if I punch it, ten minutes, tops. Better hang on to something." Raine didn't wait for them to steady themselves, immediately slamming her hand on the afterburner, sending the airship rocketing forward at a much more aggressive rate of speed than before.

Blake, perfectly at ease with this, strode over to her pack and pulled out Gambol Shroud. She began wrapping her ribbon up, but paused when she saw Yang's hand reach over and pull up Ember Celica. Blake gave her a sidelong glance. "You know, you don't have to help. You're not part of the project."

"What kind of dumbass statement is that, Blake? I protected them for three years. They gave me food, shelter, and the tiniest bit of peace. I'd fight for strangers, much less them. You don't have to be part of the 'project' to want to help people," Yang replied, annoyance coloring her voice.

Blake held up her hands in a gesture of peace. "Alright, alright. I was just saying."

Ruby had strapped on Crescent Rose, one hand gripping the railing above her head to steady her as the airship was buffeted with wind. "I'm a huntress, Blake. I fight Grimm regardless of where, or when, or why."

Weiss threw her hair back, sitting daintily in her seat as she carefully spun Myrtenaster's dust cylinder to verify it was functioning appropriately. "All Grimm must die. I will be certain they are removed from the region."

Ruby gave Weiss a look of confusion at her response, before shrugging. Now wasn't the time to question her, now was the time to prepare. She closed her eyes, slowing her breathing down, allowing herself to fall into the part of her that would always be a huntress. Focusing her mind and body on the one thing she knew she was good at…hunting the creatures of Grimm.

It seemed like no time had passed before the airship slowed, coming to a hover just over the outer edge of the town. Raine's voice called back. "Nevermores and Griffins everywhere! I can't get closer without risking the ship!"

"Don't worry about it, Raine. We'll handle it," Blake replied. Raine turned in her seat and gave the four women a thumbs up, before hitting the control to slide the door open. A rush of wind blew into the airship, as the four women leapt from it, falling towards a seething mass of black, white, and red far below.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suspect ya'll hate me when you're done reading this chapter. :P I hope you enjoy!

Crescent Rose was already in motion before Ruby had been falling for more than a second. Using a quick shot to at a Creep far below to arrest her fall for a brief moment, she flung it out and rammed it into the side of a Griffin flying past. The Grimm screamed as the sharp hook ripped into its side, but Ruby didn't care, allowing it to move her horizontally across the air. As it began to spiral out of control, she flung herself up onto its back and ran across it, slashing down as she leapt off again and removing its left wing at the joint.

She ignored the falling Griffin, landing on the back of a medium sized Nevermore. She spun about once to add more force, before bringing her scythe down and cleaving straight into the Nevermore's spin. It didn't even get an opportunity to dodge the strike before it was dead, Ruby already back flipping off it. Hanging upside down midair, she reversed Crescent Rose into its rifle form and fired three quick pinpoint accurate shots, bulls-eyeing two more Griffins right in the mouth and an Ursa below her.

As she completed the flip and began to finally fall towards the ground, she took a moment to look around to see if she could get the lay of the field. She saw the edges of buildings in her peripheral vision, allowing her to see the village nestled into the rubble pile. The Grimm were pouring out of the forest in a seemingly never-ending sea of darkness. Most of them appeared to be Beowulves and Ursa, but she saw the white scales of a King Tajitu slithering in the dark forest for a brief second, alerting her to the presence of larger Grimm nearby.

Glancing up as she free fell down, she could see an entire horde of Griffin's flying about, dive bombing the village, screeching as they did so. A flash of flame and the surprisingly comforting sound of Ember Celica blasting in the village alerted her to Yang having already charged straight for it, so she put the village out of her mind, confident Yang could hold it. Of more concern were the two giant Nevermore's far above. They were circling the field, but not doing anything. With how large they were, they had to be hundreds of years old by now, which meant caution was ingrained in them.

Ruby swept Crescent Rose underneath her, it's incredibly sharp blade carving through two Beowulves directly below her, landing almost daintily on her feet between their now evaporating bodies. Gambol Shroud shot past her, the thud of an impact alerting Ruby to Blake's presence nearby. Following the trail of the ribbon, she saw Blake blurring past the edges of the battle, skulking around the flanks and taking advantage of her natural stealth.

Without taking her eyes off the Nevermore's above, Ruby dashed through an Ursa, slicing its legs out from under it before spinning the blunt end of her scythe into a Beowulf, dazing it. She leapt up and drop kicked it, the force behind her blow sending it into a pile with two others. A single leap and flip over them and she carved through all three, using the recoil from another shot from Crescent Rose to throw herself farther forward and straight into the bulk of an Ursa Major. It grunted, slightly stunned by the impact, before roaring its challenge and swiping with massive claws at Ruby.

Ruby ducked beneath the first claw and slid between the Ursa's legs, kipping up and casually swinging her scythe behind her without looking. The tip of it slid into the gap between its chest armor and face, digging into its neck. One quick shot from Crescent Rose and the Ursa's head was ripped from its body, its last sound nothing but a gurgle as blood poured from its remains. Ruby paused for a moment, glancing around. She'd seen Yang's flame, and Blake she'd caught running by, but where was Weiss?

Her wondering came to an end when a glowing rune appeared in midair, and from it dropped a massive white knight, it's blade taller than Ruby was. Its strength was prodigious, a single swipe of the sword sending Grimm flying off into the air, smashing through Grimm after Grimm. Ruby quirked an eyebrow. This was the first time she'd seen Weiss' summons in so much control, much less this one. The sound of Weiss' giggle broke her concentration and she goggled at Weiss, confused as to why she'd be _giggling_ of all things.

Weiss' eyes were wide and strangely twinkling, her giggling only increasing in volume and seeming hilarity as her knight broke another Grimm. She made a simple gesture with her right hand, and her knight dropped its blade, grabbing up one of the Beowulves by its paws, holding it dangling in midair. Ruby watched, eyes wide, as Weiss _strut_ over to the Beowulf and cocked her head at it. Ruby couldn't hear what she said from this distance, but she saw the mad gleam in Weiss' eyes as she slowly trailed Myrtenaster across the Beowulf's abdomen, cutting a single thin slice.

Weiss snarled suddenly, before whipping Myrtenaster across in a series of quick slashes, each cutting another shallow line into the Beowulf's abdomen. It _whimpered_. A creature of Grimm, one of the most vicious and cruel monsters that humanity knew, actually whimpered as Weiss whispered to it once more, before thrusting Myrtenaster into its abdomen and twisting it.

Ruby didn't even realize she'd moved, but the next thing she knew was she was between Weiss and the Beowulf, Crescent Rose out behind her in a slash that beheaded the Grimm and put it out of its misery. Weiss' eye twitched as she glared at Ruby. Ruby blurred out of the way as the knight brought its blade swinging down from above, appearing in front of Weiss once more. She reared back and brought her palm across, slapping Weiss across the face and instantly breaking her concentration. Her knight disappeared into nothingness as her mouth dropped, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"You…you slapped me!" Weiss nearly shrieked.

"You're damn right I did! What the hell was that?!" Ruby growled, shaking Weiss by her shoulders.

"What was what?" Weiss cocked her head, looking genuinely confused.

"You were torturing that Grimm! Why the hell would you _torture_ it?"

"It's what you want! You want all the Grimm dead, so I make them dead, and it brought you back to life! Don't you see, this is how we found you again!" Weiss smiled brightly.

Ruby's jaw dropped as her words sunk in, before shaking her head to clear it and snarling at Weiss. "I wasn't fucking dead you _psycho!"_

"Ruby, now is not the time!" Blake shouted as she flipped over a Creep, digging Gambol Shroud into its back.

Ruby turned on Blake, fury in her eyes as she squeezed Weiss' shoulders almost unconsciously. "Is this what you meant, about what's wrong with Weiss? This?!"

"I said now is not the time!" Blake replied distractedly.

Ruby's shoulders shook for a moment, before she glared into Weiss' eyes, shaking Weiss again. Weiss' head bobbled around for a moment, nearly biting her own tongue. "Stop fucking torturing them and just kill them! I don't have time for this!"

"Ruby, you're hurting me…" Weiss whimpered, eyes downcast.

Ruby paused, just now realizing how tightly she was holding Weiss' shoulders. She'd dug her blunt nails into Weiss, nearly ripping her white jacket. She released her grip quickly, holding her hands away from Weiss. "S-sorry. Just…stop doing that."

Weiss went to nod, but her eyes went wide as her gaze was drawn upward into the sky. Yang's voice screamed from inside the village. " _Nevermore!_ "

Apparently, one of the birds had decided they had waited long enough. Ruby instantly grabbed Weiss in her arms and bolted, blurring past as the feathers began to rain down. She jolted as she felt something hit her leg, but bit her lip and ignored the pain as she managed to get them underneath the trees, giving them some form of cover from the sharpened quills.

Weiss gasped as they slowed, pointing down at Ruby's leg. Ruby glanced down, eyebrow arched as she noticed the quill straight through her thigh. She sighed. Gripping Crescent Rose, she swung it down in a single slash, severing the quill barely a centimeter from her own leg. Reaching down, she gripped the quill and ripped it out, blood pouring freely from the hole in her leg as she tossed it aside. Looking up at the two circling Nevermores, she narrowed her eyes.

"Weiss, right before I found you three in the desert, I swore I saw a white Nevermore. Was that yours?" Ruby asked Weiss casually, as if the hole in her leg that her Aura was desperately trying to heal wasn't even a concern.

Weiss couldn't rip her eyes away from the bleeding, her mind flashing through a thousand horrible scenarios involving Ruby and blood. Ruby snapped her fingers in front of Weiss' face, dragging her attention back to Ruby.

"It's just a flesh wound. Didn't even hit the bone. Now, tell me, was it?"

Weiss gulped. "T-the white Nevermore? Y-yes, that's mine. It's the one we killed on the day we formed our team. Why?"

Ruby nodded absently, eyes still locked on the circling Nevermores. "I need a lift."

* * *

"Yang!" Blake called, leaping over a falling Ursa to find a fireball headed straight for her face. She made an eep noise as she leapt over it, a clone taking the hit for her.

"Oh shit! Blake, Blake, are you ok? I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you!" Yang shouted, panic evident on her face.

Blake gave a tired smile. "I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Ruby took Weiss into the forest to hide from the Nevermore's, but I couldn't see you, so…" Blake casually ducked underneath an Ursa swipe from behind. Reversing her blade, she slammed it backwards into the Ursa's stomach. The bear Grimm paused and glanced down, confused, before a flaming fist ended its confusion and its general thought processes for eternity.

"Yeah, just ducked under one of the buildings that's still standing. I just want to know everyone's ok, but I haven't had a chance to get back and check on them…" Yang replied worriedly.

"I'm sure they are fine. We need to clear this out first," Blake tried to reassure Yang.

"You don't get it! I need to keep them safe! This only happened because I left!" Yang nearly shouted, waving her arms frantically as the flames surrounding her began to die down and her eyes slowly returned to lavender.

"Yang, you couldn't have known- "

"Oh shut up! It's not about knowing or not knowing! I was protecting them and now this entire village is overrun and it's just like back in Vale and oh Dust why the hell did I leave if they all die I'm so at fault and ugh I need a drink right now and- "

" _Yang!_ " Blake shouted, grabbing one of Yang's flailing arms and slapping her free hand over Yang's mouth. "Freak out later, kill Grimm now. Ok?" Yang paused, before nodding. She took a deep breath, eyes closed, before opening them again. Her fire flared back into life, red spilled into her eyes, and she gave a reckless grin that had Blake's heart skipping a beat.

The two spun back to back as the Grimm surrounded them, their previous fear from the charred corpses left in Yang's wake having disappeared already. But a sudden flare of brilliant white light and a Nevermore cry had both women and the Grimm all looking up into the sky, seeing a pure white Nevermore arrowing up into the blue skies above, a brown cloaked figure on its back. Blake blinked in shock as Yang's jaw dropped, as the two spoke in tandem. " _Ruby?!"_

* * *

Ruby's hair blew back as the summon neared the first of the two Nevermore's. She was on one knee, her right hand clutching onto the summons feathers in order to keep hold. Her left was holding Crescent Rose in a ready position as she narrowed her eyes. Nevermore's were some of the toughest Grimm; even without the body armor most other Grimm had, their bodies regenerated swiftly and were incredibly resilient against attack. But Ruby hadn't spent eight years hunting to not have upgraded the blade on Crescent Rose.

As the two birds neared each other, Ruby _moved._ It had taken her a long time to realize there was more to her semblance than just speed. She could do things that just being fast wouldn't allow. She'd been able to jump off nothing at all before. She could generate shockwaves in mere moments that would take most objects quite some time to create. It eventually hit her that she could, in minor ways, control the very air around her. Once she learned that, it had been a simple matter of practicing, and finding ways to use it more effectively…like now.

Ruby spun in midair rapidly, allowing her semblance to push her around and around and around, creating a miniature cyclone about her as she sped towards the now terrified Nevermore. It gave one scared screech, trying to alter its trajectory, but it had no chance as Ruby neared it. She carved through it like butter, her scythe ripping its head clean from its neck and taking some of its spine with it. Allowing her semblance to give her that extra step, she leapt onto its back and began dashing along its spine as it began to fall from the sky. One more leap, her scythe arched behind her, firing shot after shot after shot, she aimed straight for the second Nevermore.

It banked in midair, hoping to avoid her, but it failed to realize the white Nevermore was still around. Weiss' summon stabbed its beak into the Grimm's wing, making it cry out as Ruby managed to grab onto one of the other wings feathers. Flipping herself up into the air over it, she twisted her body around before spiraling back down, cutting through its wing and sending the second Nevermore on a collision course with the ground.

Ruby began free falling to the ground below. Flipping herself over in midair again, pointing her feet straight down, she allowed the ground to rush up at her before triggering her semblance one final time. A gust of wind blew from below her, arresting her motion just enough that she landed almost softly upon the ground, Crescent Rose casually leaning over her shoulder.

This was too much for the majority of the Grimm. Creatures born of hate and fear they may be, but seeing two of the eldest and strongest of their kind being nearly eviscerated in seconds was more than enough to send them running. They trampled each other in their desperate attempts to flee, leaving only a few for the huntresses to clean up. Ruby rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck, before darting back into the fray to finish the job.

* * *

"Roze?" Yang asked tentatively, her head switching back and forth as she tried to peer around the crowded tavern. A head popped up from behind the counter.

"Is…is that you?" Roze responded, glancing curiously as Yang.

Yang ran one hand through her hair self-consciously as she chuckled nervously. "Yeah…I just wanted to make sure everyone was ok."

Murmurs turned into cheers as the villagers realized who stood before them. Ruby kept herself just barely inside the door, leaning on it as she kept her narrowed eyes locked on Weiss. Weiss kept her head pointed at the ground, as Blake stood beside Yang and tried to ignore her ears hurting from the volume in the confined space. Yang held her hands up for peace, a genuine smile on her face as she tried to respond.

"Woah, hey, calm down guys. I can't keep up. Is everyone ok?"

Roze nodded. "We're all good, except that hunter fella ya'll left here. He's a bit banged up. But we got him laid up and healin', he says he'll be good to go tomorrow. You look good, blondie."

Yang glanced away, blushing slightly. "Well…I feel better than I did before. I found my sister. That's her." She jerked her thumb back, pointing at Ruby who jolted in surprise. She hunched her shoulders as attention turned to her, giving a half-hearted wave.

"I thought yer sister was dead," Roze asked, confusion evident on his face.

"It's a long story. Listen, is it cool if we crash here tonight? We just want to stick around and make sure the Grimm don't come back," Yang asked. It had been Blake's idea, and neither Ruby nor Weiss had vetoed it. It seemed sensible to Yang.

"Of course! Lemme get mah sister, she'll get a couple rooms kit out fer ya."

Blake noticed Ruby turn away from the doorway and began to walk out of it. She leaned back to speak to her quietly. "Where are you going?"

"I need some time to think. I'll be back in a few minutes," Ruby responded. Before Blake could react, she strode out the door with purpose. Blake sighed, turning back to Yang and Weiss, only to blink when she realized Weiss had disappeared as well. She thought about it for a moment before wincing. This probably would not end well.

* * *

"Ruby!" Weiss called as she stepped into the forest. She'd seen Ruby walk in here just a moment ago, and was hoping to catch her.

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, frustration evident in her voice. She was leaning against a tree, staring up at the slowly darkening sky, refusing to even look at Weiss.

"Why are you mad at me?" Weiss asked, deciding to be blunt.

"Because you nearly got us both killed by your mental problems. Do you even know how to fight anymore, or do you just force your summons to do everything for you?" Ruby's tone was snappy and mocking, and Weiss felt her own annoyance rising to match hers.

"I can fight still! But my summons are more powerful, so I use them. My knight probably slew twice as many Grimm as any of the three of you, _and_ you had no problem using _my_ Nevermore!"

"Oh sure, while you were busy fucking torturing it! And making all those wild claims! Weiss, I _wasn't fucking dead!_ " Ruby screamed, finally looking at Weiss with anger in her eyes.

" _I thought you were!_ " Weiss replied in kind, stomping forward with her fists clenched at her side. "I thought you were gone, so I did what I thought you'd want! Kill Grimm!"

"Kill them? You were torturing them!"

"They are Grimm! What's it matter; they'll die either way!"

Ruby shoved herself off the tree and turned to face Weiss. "It matters! What you were doing was just sick! Insane! Psychotic! Pick a word!"

"Stop calling me that!" Weiss stomped her foot.

"What? Crazy? Why? You are! Were you torturing Grimm the whole time I was gone?"

"It brought you back, didn't it?!"

Ruby shoved her hands into her hair and gripped it tightly. She pulled on it, letting the pain try to refocus her mind. "For the last time, I wasn't dead! I was alive! I still am if you hadn't noticed! You didn't bring me back; I wasn't gone to be brought back! And that sure as well wasn't the way to do it!"

"You were gone, I did that, and now you're back. How am I wrong?" Weiss snapped back, taking another step forward until she was a mere step away from Ruby, glaring up at her.

"Step back, Weiss," Ruby warned, narrowing her eyes down into familiar and yet strange ice blue eyes. She tried to ignore the soft mint scent that always seemed to surround Weiss, her nose twitching.

"Or what, you'll hit me again?" Weiss replied sarcastically. "Hit me again and I'll hit right back this time!"

Ruby scoffed. "You couldn't beat me in a fight if you tried. You've grown soft, relying on summons. Hell you can barely stand because you barely eat!" Ruby's muscles were tense, but she tried to ignore the feelings bubbling up below the surface, so close to Weiss.

"Oh yeah? Prove it! Kick my ass if you think you can!" Weiss challenged, goading Ruby on.

"Just shut up already," Ruby growled, crossing her arms over her chest and looming over Weiss. Weiss' face was just below hers, that pale aristocratic visage making Ruby's eyes begin to swim.

"Make me!"

"Weiss, if you don't shut up, I'm going to do something I'm going to regret," Ruby warned, her hands shaking.

Ruby bit her lip as Weiss smirked at her. "Do it."

It was too much. Ruby lunged forward, one arm around Weiss' waist and the other gripping her hip bruisingly, slamming their bodies together as her mouth fused to Weiss'. Weiss didn't struggle, instead wrapping both arms around Ruby's shoulders, tangling her hands in Ruby's mussed hair and pulling her even closer. Ruby wasn't sure who bit whose lip, but the tangy taste of blood filled her senses as the scent of mint began to weave itself around her.

Her entire body felt aflame as Weiss' cool form molded itself to her own. Ruby walked Weiss backwards, step by step, the white haired woman refusing to part lips until Weiss' back was against a tree. Ruby gripped her hips tightly and lifted Weiss up, slamming her back into the tree as Weiss quickly wrapped her legs around Ruby's waist.

Weiss broke the kiss to stare down into Ruby's molten metal eyes, breathing heavily for a moment before she dove back in, one hand sliding down to grip the neck of Ruby's shirt and pull her, trying to pull her closer. Ruby couldn't get enough of her taste, her scent, her everything, feeling herself drowning in feelings she'd desperately tried to discard years ago. Even though she seemed to have what she wanted now, the pain inside her wasn't going away. Her heart ached even more now as she pressed Weiss tighter against the tree, reveling in the gasp that broke through, her eyes fluttering closed.

When Weiss gave out a soft moan, that's when Ruby's mind caught on and her eyes snapped open. Weiss wasn't well, mentally. She was taking advantage of her. _'Oh Dust what have I done?_ ' She thought, horrified, breaking the kiss immediately. Weiss tried to follow her lips for a moment, but when Ruby's head was too far back she opened dreamy eyes to view Ruby's terrified visage. Ruby let Weiss down so she could stand on her own feet.

Weiss tilted her head to the side and spoke, her breath coming out in pants. "R-Ruby?"

Ruby shook her head no rapidly, feeling tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Oh Dust Weiss, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh fuck I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Ruby carefully laid one hand on Weiss' cheek and gave a broken smile. She closed her eyes tightly, taking in a deep breath and reining in her feelings once again. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before bolting, a single rose petal left in her wake as she vanished into the darkened woods.

Weiss stood there in shock, watching in what felt like slow motion as the petal slowly floated down towards the ground. Her hands began to shake as she stared at its casual fall. When it hit the ground softly, she fell to her knees, everything in her breaking at once. Placing her hands against her head, squeezing her eyes shut, she let out one anguished scream, the sound echoing throughout the forest.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, chapter 22 incoming! It's slightly shorter than I like, but to be honest, I simply wanted to leave it off where this one ends. But, I hope you all enjoy the same!

"Damn it damn it damn it!" Ruby hissed to herself as she stumbled. The hole in her leg hadn't fully healed and was slowing her down, but that wasn't what she was so angry about. She was angry with herself, horrified she'd take advantage of Weiss like that. Weiss needed help, not her unstable emotional storms. But damn it, Weiss had been pushing her! Ruby stopped stumbling along, resting her forehead against a tree and panting as she tried to hold back the burning sensation in her eyes.

It was only a moment later that her senses picked up on…something. Instantly alert, she began scanning the nearby area with narrowed eyes, but without her goggles the dark forest was nearly impenetrable to her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her other senses take hold. She was no Faunus, but she had worked very hard to hone her hearing and scent ever since she realized how weak sight could be for a human.

Not a single sound heard besides the gentle chirping of nighttime insects and the softly blowing wind…wait…the wind shifted, carrying on it a scent. Sandalwood and incense. Ruby sighed, shoulders slumping as she leaned back against the tree. Crossing her arms over her chest and letting her head drop onto her chest, she spoke. "Does _anyone_ listen when I say I want to be alone?"

Blake's half guilty, half amused voice floated out from her left. "I didn't think you'd notice me."

"Wind shifted; put you upwind. You still haven't changed your perfume from back at Beacon."

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Blake replied as she stepped out of the shadowy forest.

Ruby opened her eyes, staring at the ground, her voice barely above a whisper. "How much did you see?"

"All of it. Yang's still back at town, but she was worried about you and Weiss, so I followed. I wasn't going to get involved, I just wanted to make sure you guys were ok."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Blake sighed before taking a step closer to Ruby. "Ruby, you're not fine."

"Yes, I am. Seriously, I'm fine." Ruby kept her eyes focused on the ground, refusing to look up and meet Blake's gaze.

Blake sighed, running one hand through her hair. She smiled absently when she realized she'd taken one of Yang's common poses accidently. Shaking her head slightly, she focused on Ruby's downcast form. "Ruby…so, I heard a few rumors about you…back in Vacuo."

"Yeah, Grimm Reaper. I remember when I heard that the first time. Sounded like something Yang woulda made up," Ruby smiled slightly as she remembered.

"That's…not what I meant," Blake began hesitantly.

Ruby glanced up at Blake enough to look at her sidelong. "What are you talking about then?"

"I don't know how to say this, but…can you take off your shirt?"

Ruby blinked. Blinked again. Blinked a third time. Finally, her mind caught up, and she had only one eloquent response. " _What?!_ "

Blake winced, cheeks going pink as she realized what she'd just said. "Wait, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Then what the hell did you mean?" Ruby shot back, leaning away from Blake.

"Sun told me about a rumor he heard, from an innkeeper. She found you, unconscious, on the rooftop of her hotel…with a knife in hand, and covered in recent cuts. Self-inflicted cuts. Ruby…is it true?"

Ruby's eyes went wide in fear. She lunged forward, grabbing Blake by the shoulders. "Who did Sun tell this to?"

Blake looked Ruby in the eyes sadly. "It's just me. You aren't denying it."

Ruby let go of Blake and turned away from her, clenching her fists tightly as she bit her lip. "You can't say a word to anyone."

"Ruby, I _have_ to. You need help!"

"I don't need anything! I'm fine!" Ruby exclaimed.

"If you're fine, then why do you do that!?" Blake demanded, taking another step towards Ruby.

Ruby looked away from Blake. "B-because. I have to."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're hurting yourself!" Blake was trying to hold her temper in, but Ruby's stubborn attitude had been gnawing at her since they found her.

" _I have to!_ " Ruby screamed in Blake's face. She spun on her heel and threw a punch at the three behind her as hard as she could. Blake could hear Ruby's knuckles crack when she threw it as the ancient tree barely flinched from the force. A tear escaped Ruby's eye as she choked out her next words. "I…I have to. It's the right thing to do. I have to. I have to."

Blake wasn't sure how much more pain her own heart could take anymore. This past week had been nothing but one nightmare after another, one more pain filled moment followed by the next. Every time she thought they had managed to pass a hurdle, one of them tripped over the next one, and she lost more and more confidence in her ability to help them. Even now, she was paralyzed, unable to move to try to check on Ruby's hand which she was now confident was broken.

Her paralysis ended when Ruby reared back for another swing _with the same hand_. Blake shot forward, grabbing Ruby's arm tightly, wrapping her other arm around Ruby's waist and squeezing tightly. She grunted as Ruby struggled for a moment, but after a brief second Ruby calmed down enough and the tension faded from her muscles. Blake carefully let go of Ruby, watching to make sure she didn't try again. Ruby just leaned against the tree, breath slowing down.

"I have to, Blake…so please, don't tell anyone," Ruby pleaded.

"…I'll keep quiet. _For now_. Only until we've gotten back to the city. Then you have to get help. Please…please get some help. You have to see that somethings wrong. You have to be able to see that." Blake wrapped her arms around Ruby's abdomen softly, giving her a hug from behind and squeezing gently.

Ruby took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I…I don't think…I don't know! Ugh!"

"Just promise me you'll talk to someone. That's all I'm asking. Give it a try. Whoever. Talk to me, talk to Yang, talk to Weiss, or maybe not any of us! Anyone, just…don't do it anymore. Please."

Ruby paused, before she spoke in a distant voice. "…is Weiss ok? Did you see her after I left?"

Blake sighed as she realized Ruby wouldn't promise her, and that Ruby wouldn't be satisfied till she knew the answer. "She's…ok. She's crying. She hasn't moved, so I figured we could get her on the way back."

"How do you know she hasn't moved?" Ruby asked quietly.

"I can still hear her crying. You didn't get very far with that leg," was Blake's soft reply.

Ruby slumped further, her hands coming up to cover her eyes, finally allowing Blake to see Ruby's hand. The knuckles were torn and bloody from the single punch, and from the odd way they moved she was pretty sure Ruby's hand was broken. Blake resisted the urge to say anything, not really sure what would work.

"I took advantage of her, Blake. She's not well. And I…I took from her. Oh Dust, what have I done?" Ruby whispered.

"Ruby, that's not why she's crying; she's crying because you left. You saw how…obsessed she is with you now. She needs you still."

"Does she? Or does she just think she does? Don't you think the way for her to get over it is to _not_ be around me?"

Blake shrugged, releasing Ruby from the hug. "I don't know. I'm not a psychologist. I do know we're all 'not well' as you put it. She needs you. All of us do. Be honest with yourself…don't you need us too?"

Ruby turned to face Blake, arms out helplessly. "I don't know what I need anymore. I haven't known for eight years."

"Will you admit somethings wrong?" Blake asked, pushing her advantage as she took a step forward.

"…fine. I know something's wrong in my head. I know I shouldn't hear these voices, shouldn't hate myself so much. I _know_ that, in my head, but I can't feel it! All I can feel is disgust and hate and this seething anger at myself for everything I do! What more can I do?!" Ruby ended on a shout, closing her eyes and throwing her head back, covering her face with her hands again. Slowly she dragged them down, sighing deeply. "I don't know what I'm doing, Blake."

"I don't think any of us do. But please, don't run again. Stay with us. Give it a shot? We all need you."

"I said I'd come back to Atlas with you before. I still mean that. But…how am I going to fix this? How do you apologize for taking advantage of someone like that?! Not to mention I said some really cruel things to her! I know it's not her fault she's all messed up, but I was so angry at her!"

Blake arched an eyebrow at Ruby. "Ruby…I sincerely doubt Weiss feels taken advantage of. In fact, I'm pretty much convinced she wanted that as much as you. She practically dared you to and you know it. And why were you angry?"

"Because she's…she's not Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed. "She's…someone else! That's not the Weiss I knew!"

Blake facepalmed, but decided it was not worth continuing to argue the point right now. Now wasn't the time to deal with the duo's inability to get over themselves. A tiny voice in Blake's mind pointed out she wasn't much better with that when it came to Yang, but she quickly hushed it. Yang and Blake were different. They had an idea where they stood, and Blake wasn't avoiding talking to Yang about it, she was just waiting until they were more settled.

"And you're not the Ruby she knew. I don't think I'm the Blake you knew, nor is Yang. We're all different, Ruby; it's been eight years." Blake sighed deeply as she placed one hand on her forehead. "Look, just…talk to her?"

"Blake, I _can't_! I can't just…talk to her, she's going to hate me for that!"

"She _won't_. I promise you of that. No one is going to hate you for that. But you know she needs you…talk to her."

Ruby took a deep breath. "…fine. I'll talk to her. But this time you don't listen in. Go back to the village."

Blake rocked back, blinking. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We'll come back shortly. I know the way."

Blake nodded to Ruby. "Alright. I'll be waiting for you guys, ok?"

 Ruby nodded in return, before turning back into the dark forest, headed towards where she had left Weiss. Blake bit her lip, worried, but she kept her word and began the trek back to the village.

* * *

 

Weiss wasn't sure how long she'd been kneeling, or crying, or anything really. All she could think was that Ruby didn't want her…why else would she run after kissing her? For a brief moment, she'd been ecstatic, truly happy. The voices in her head were dead silent, and she felt fully in control of herself. Maybe it wasn't healthy, to be this attached, but Dust damn it, it worked. It wasn't the kiss itself though, it was more the feeling that Ruby actually _did_ want to be around her, that she hadn't left because of her.

Ever since Weiss had found out Ruby didn't die that day, she'd been wondering… _why_? Why did Ruby leave and not contact them? Was it because of her? She knew she could be cold, no pun intended. She'd been pushy and cruel to Ruby many a time, even after the red-head had wormed her way into her heart. It was just difficult for her not to snap at minor things…they always set her off.

And now Ruby had left. Again. After _kissing_ her, kissing her exactly the way she'd pictured it time and time again. She'd looked at her, said sorry, and disappeared. Sorry for kissing her? Was she that bad at it that Ruby felt like she needed to show pity?

Her head was pounding, over and over, the voices growing louder and louder. She wanted to hunt, she wanted to find something to _kill_. She wanted to summon her knight and let it annihilate, let it go on a rampage, rip apart the forest entirely and slaughter every Grimm in it. She wanted to stand in the middle of a decimated plain and just gaze over the destroyed corpses evaporating before her, where they deserved to lie.

 _'No!_ ' she growled to herself, shaking her head violently. She wasn't this, this…psycho that Ruby said. She wasn't! She was better than that. She wasn't going to keep being controlled by whatever was stuck inside her head. She planted her hands on the sides of her head and covered her ears, closing her eyes tightly as the tears leaked from under her eyelids. She wouldn't go back to that, she wouldn't! She wanted to be herself, not that broken person. She wanted to have a clear head, just for a little while…

Her thoughts were broken by a tentative whispering of her name. "Weiss?"

Weiss' head twisted to find Ruby so fast some part of her was concerned she'd hurt her neck. With wide eyes, she stared at the specter of Ruby slowly walking into view, her boots crunching on the twigs below.

"R-Ruby?" Weiss replied, disbelief evident in her tone.

"Listen, Weiss, I'm- "

Ruby never got to finish as Weiss practically rocketed into her, wrapping her arms around her neck and sobbing into her shoulder. "Ruby I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! Please, forgive me, don't leave again, please, whatever I did I'm sorry!"

Ruby instinctively returned the embrace, squeezing Weiss around her midsection tightly as she buried her head in Weiss' hair. "No, no, you didn't do anything, I'm the one who's sorry. I took advantage of you, Dust you should hate me, I'm so sorry Weiss."

Weiss leaned back enough to lock teary blue with watery silver, cocking her head in slight confusion. "Take advantage of me? What are you talking about?"

Ruby blushed as she looked away, sniffling slightly. "K-kissing you like that. You're in…in a…a fragile state of mind, and I- "

"Stop," Weiss commanded, her voice stern. Lifting one hand up, she gripped Ruby's chin firmly and turned her back to face her. "Yes, I am…mentally unstable. Yes, I am in a 'fragile state of mind' as you so eloquently put. Yes, it's difficult for me to focus sometimes. But none of that means you took advantage of me. I wanted that; but I need to know, did you?" Weiss' voice faded from its commanding tone to a softer, meeker voice as she asked.

"Well, I…uh…well…" Ruby stammered, not really sure how to respond. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remind herself she wanted to be honest, about this at least. She _needed_ to be honest. Even if she was a substitute, she could be honest about her feelings, couldn't she? "Y-yes? I mean…yeah. I did."

"Then no one took advantage of anyone, right?" Weiss asked, her voice still meek as she looked away from Ruby. "And we could…you know, do that again?"

Ruby froze at Weiss' comment, eyes wide as she tried to stop her mind from going places it shouldn't. She could picture it, see all the dreams she tried to ignore over the years, all the fantasies… _no_. It wasn't right. Weiss deserved far better than her in the first place. And it wouldn't be fair to her, sticking her with Ruby. Ruby wouldn't be around long anyways, just long enough to make them all happy, then when they forgot about her she'd leave and everything would be ok. Maybe this time she'd just leave Remnant entirely…

She shook her head once she realized Weiss was still waiting for an answer. She pondered for a moment, before settling on the right excuse. "Weiss, you're…not well. You know you're not, you've admitted it. And maybe I'm not doing the best either. This isn't the right time for this, we need to…get better first. But after that, we can talk about it, you know, after we can…fix everything. I've only been back a couple days…let's take things slow, ok?"

Weiss gulped, looking downtrodden, before she nodded slowly. "Yeah, that does make sense. Will you still help me?"

Ruby nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Of course Weiss. Whatever you need, I'll be."

Weiss smiled softly, pulling Ruby in gently for another hug. "Thank you, Ruby."

Ruby returned the hug, resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder and gazing sadly off into the distance as the confirmation of what she'd thought rang in her head. Weiss needed her to be something, so she would. Blake's words echoed in her head softly, reminding her that something was wrong with her, but she ignored them. Something _was_ wrong with her, but it wasn't what Blake thought. _She_ was what was wrong…with everything. "You're welcome, Weiss.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, one of my reviewers was a guest account and I couldn't respond to him, so if you're still reading, my response is down at the end of the chapter, and hopefully it also clears some stuff up about Weiss and Nora.

"Are you two okay?" Blake asked as Ruby and Weiss made their way to the front door of the main inn. Weiss had a carefully blank expression across her face as Ruby kept her head down. Ruby shrugged.

"Yeah, we're good. Yang inside?"

Blake nodded. "Yeah, she wanted to go check up on the hunter who had been watching over the town. I was about to join her. Would you like to?"

Weiss perked up slightly, nodding her head slowly as though she were unsure. Ruby glanced over at her, and seeing her agreement, shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, let's go."

The three women entered the inn, into a bustling room full of activity. Some of the townsfolk were rebuilding the tables and chairs they had been using as makeshift barriers, while quite a few were in the back cooking what seemed like a feast of some sort. As they passed, many members of the village would pause in what they were doing and smile at them, waving happily, or thanking them again for saving their village.

Blake noted how Ruby flinched with every thank you and praise they lauded on her. To her credit, Ruby didn't show it very obviously to the townspeople, mostly she replied with a small smile or head tilt, but Blake was skilled at reading facial cues. Blake decided now was not the time to bring that up, not wanting to start that sort of conversation in front of all these people. Instead, she led them carefully towards the stairs along the right side of the building. She flagged down Roze.

"Roze?"

He turned and smiled brightly at the three women. "'ey, there ya are! Yer other friend already be upstairs wit' the other hunter! He's in room 3B if ya wanna stop in and see 'im."

Blake gave a small bow. "Thanks. We'll be doing exactly that."

He nodded in return. "And just so ya'll know, we'll be makin' a big dinner tonight, ya'll be invited! Gotta celebrate the village being okay ya know!"

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Blake stepped forward and cut her off with a disarming smile. "Thank you, that sounds lovely." Blake ignored the swift elbow that jabbed into her side, keeping the smile plastered on her face as she turned towards the stairs.

As soon as they were out of sight of the townsfolk, Ruby grabbed Blake's elbow and narrowed her eyes at her. Pulling her slightly away from Weiss' earshot, she hissed in Blake's ear. "What the hell, Blake? Why'd you cut me off?"

Blake waved Weiss on upward the stairs, her gaze speaking volumes. Weiss nodded and continued on towards the room at the end of the hall before Blake turned back to Ruby. "Because you were about to say something stupid about not being able to join or something. We need you there."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "For _what_?"

Blake quickly glanced over at the retreating Weiss with a significant look. Blake turned back to Ruby. "Weiss needs to eat, and you know that. We need you there because that's the only way to guarantee she will. Not that you or Yang is much better," Blake added with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, I've stayed very fit over these past few years. I eat when I need to," Ruby retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Blake automatically eyed her up and down with an appraising look, making Ruby's cheeks flush. "Don't do that!"

Blake started slightly, before rubbing the back of her head self-consciously as she looked away. "I didn't mean to look at you like that, it was just what you said, I was just checking you out!" Blake nearly choked once she realized what she said and she furiously backpedaled, waving her hands frantically in front of her face. "I-I didn't mean it like that! Not that you aren't attractive but I'm not attracted to you like that!"

Ruby flushed even darker, looking away from Blake and muttering. "Well, I mean, you are too, but that's just weird! You're like my sister, gosh! Hell you're practically _dating_ my sister!"

"What?! No, no, I'm not!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Blake, you used to talk my ear off during our reading sessions about my sister! And have you seen the way you look at her?" Blake arched an eyebrow at Ruby's phrasing. Ruby pondered for a moment before rolling her eyes again. "It's a phrase! Look, I've been back one day and already I can see it."

"Oh, you're one to talk," Blake retorted, mirroring Ruby's posture and crossing her arms over her chest. "Or are you conveniently forgetting what I just was witness to?"

Ruby looked away from Blake, her shoulder's slumping. "Look, me and Weiss, we…we have a lot of things to work out before anything happens, if it does. You…you were right when you said none of us were the same. I told Weiss that too, we're taking everything slow. I want to take everything slow with all of you. It's not easy, being back, being around you guys. Not for me, at least."

Blake sighed, running one hand through her hair. "That's…that's fair. But you're staying, right? You're not going to run, even if it gets hard?"

Ruby slowly shook her head. "I won't run. I said I'll go back and try to do this. We'll see where it goes from there."

"Fine. Come on, let's go see who kept the village safe before we got here."

The two women traveled down the hall towards the back room that Roze had indicated. Weiss was standing just outside the door, a smile on her face as she leaned on it, as Yang's happy voice floated out into the hall. Blake stepped around the corner and paused, a slow smile stretching across her face.

"Yatsuhashi?" she exclaimed in surprise, genuine joy coming out of her. The gentle giant raised his left hand in greeting, smiling tightly at how the motion stretched the bandages wrapped about his midsection. His right arm was wrapped in a sling as he sat, propped up against the headboard of a bed.

"It is good to see you. All of you," he nodded to Ruby, who nodded back with a small smile on her face. "I'm grateful you came when you did. I was not expecting that number of Grimm."

Yang, seated next to him, reached over and patted his uninjured hand. "No worries, Yatsu. I want this place safe. It means a lot to me that you've been watching over it."

Blake tilted her head to the side. "When did your team get to Atlas? I didn't think Velvet could make the trip."

Yatsuhashi gave a half shrug with his left arm. "We didn't. Only I've come, for now. Ozpin requested more backup since he said you'd be out on a mission. Velvet is with Fox and Coco; they are taking a ship to Atlas."

"A ship? That'll take at least a month! Why not take an airship?" Weiss exclaimed in surprise.

Yatsuhashi winced. "Two months, actually. Velvet can't fly in airships anymore. You see, her ears, they are very sensitive to sound, moreso than most Faunus. When the civilian transports were destroyed by the Grimm during the Fall…she heard the screams. All of them. She avoids airships now."

"Oh," Weiss said lamely, her voice falling as she looked away from the man lying in the bed.

Yatsuhashi waved his hand and smiled at her. "It's fine, Weiss. We made peace with it long ago, and Velvet still fights with us. We're still a team."

Blake made a face at that statement, refusing to look at the other three as she was certain they shared a similar thought about what they were now. Her wonderings were interrupted by a call from down the stairs, Roze's voice floating up to them.

"Hey ya'll, dinner's ready! Come on down, we got plenty for everyone! Sir Hunter, if ya think ya can make it, yer welcome too! Or we'll bring ya something up, no worries!"

Yatsuhashi smiled and raised his voice to reply. "I will come down, good sir Roze. Worry not, my injuries are not as severe as they seem." He turned to Yang, sitting next to him, and gave her a rueful smile. "Do you mind giving me a hand up?"

Yang smirked, standing up and reaching down to grasp Yatsuhashi's left. "No problem." He managed to clamber to his feet with Yang's help, and inclining his head in the direction of the stairs, he gestured with his free hand for the women to proceed him out of the room.

* * *

"Storm calling Shield, Storm calling Shield. You copy, Shield?" Raine asked over the intercom, having landed just to the left of the inn. Zwei was seated casually by her seat, panting lightly as he waited for her to finish her call. She'd promised him they'd go into the inn with the others, but she had to report back, and Zwei in his strangely intelligent ways seemed to have understood her.

Jaune's voice came across the comm channel, an edge to his tone. "Raine? Is everyone ok? How did it go? Are they injured? How's Yatsu? What- "

"Woah! Geez Jaune, gimme a minute to respond would you?" Raine interrupted, an amused tone in her voice.

"Sorry. You know how worried I get," Jaune replied ruefully.

"No worries bud. Anyways, they took care of the problem, pretty handily too. I hear Yatsu's banged up, but nothing he won't recover from in a couple days. You Hunter's and your Aura's, ridiculous if you ask me."

" _Those_ hunters. I'm not much of one anymore, Raine."

Raine waved dismissively at the intercom, aware Jaune couldn't see her but not overly caring. "Oh shut up Jaune. None of that self-defeating bullshit. Anyways, I was hoping you could patch me through to Ozpin? Need to give him something."

"Yeah, no problem. Sec," Jaune replied, pointedly ignoring Raine's previous comment.

A soft static filled the line for a moment, before Ozpin's smooth voice came across the speakers. "Yes?"

"Raine here sir. Remember how those tightwads in Mistral keep refusing to help out cause they say your Hunter's can't help you clear out the Grimm quick enough?"

"Yes. What about them?"

Raine smirked at the intercom, before tapping a series of buttons on her dash, sending a file to Ozpin's desk in the Reclamation. "Well, I think this video will be all the proof you need to tell them off."

Ozpin let the video play before him, watching with one arched eyebrow. A slow smile spread across his face as he steepled his fingers together, keeping his gaze intently on the footage before him. He paused it only a minute in, before hitting the talk button on his side of the intercom. "Yes, this may be of great help. Thank you, Raine. You'll be returning tomorrow with team RWBY?"

" _Team_ RWBY…team. Sure, yeah, right," Raine's scorn was easily evident in her voice. "If you mean loosely connected individuals with a host of psychiatric issues, then yes, a 'team'."

"They need work. They need time, and communication, and the help of professionals, absolutely. But I believe that retrieving the Hunter teams that remain scattered about Remnant are our only chance to retaking what was stolen from us. Even if they are damaged, it is damage that can be overcome. Give them a break, Raine. Give them time, and they will show you more than you ever imagined Huntresses could."

Raine sighed heavily. "Yes, sir. We'll be returning tomorrow."

"Thank you, Raine. Rest well. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sir," Raine replied, cutting off the connection. Ozpin paused for a moment, before hitting play on the video again, watching it through. Raine's flying position had given her a bird's eye view of the fight, and with the huntresses on the ground, even the flying Grimm had mostly ignored her in favor of the 'easy' morsels below, although they had come to realize very quickly nothing about the women was easy.

Ozpin's eyebrow arched high as he watched Ruby, grasping the back of the white Nevermore, flying into the air and decimating two fully grown giant Nevermore's without breaking a sweat. He smirked behind his hands and allowed the video to finish, letting the black screen sit before him before nodding once. Standing from his desk, he grabbed his cane and began to limp out of the office, thoughts of what he needed to do already swirling within his mind.

* * *

Yang was not unhappy, but she wasn't very comfortable right now. The townspeople had welcomed her back warmly and were happy to see her smiling, but out of the corner of her eye she could see how uncomfortable Ruby was. Yang had insisted they allow the four women to have their own table in the corner, which did make Ruby slightly happier, but her eyes kept flitting around the room rapidly, as though she felt hemmed in. She'd scrunched herself down into her brown cloak and had her back to a wall, but Crescent Rose was leaning against her leg, apparently ready to be unleashed. Yang was fairly certain the only reason she was even eating was because Weiss would only eat if she did.

Which led Yang to her second problem woman of the hour: Weiss. Weiss was clearly not any happier at the crowd than Ruby was, but seemed to be handling it better than the younger woman. At least, she had managed to plaster on her old regal and lofty demeanor, but it wasn't hard for Yang to see the cracks in it. Her eyes twitched every time a loud noise rang out, and she snarled once when Yang reached for her plate to put more food on it before she caught herself and gave Yang an apologetic glance. Yang steadfastly ignored her reaction and simply added more onto it, glad that she was at least eating _something_.

Blake was just sitting quietly, eating her food beside Yang, but Yang could tell she had a similar worry. Ruby just didn't like crowds, or cities, or seemingly anything involving large groups of people. Yang wondered, not for the first time since she'd found Ruby once more…what the hell happened during those eight years? She'd always been a bit of a social spaz, sure, but this was different. She just looked so tired and worn down anymore, so much older than she really was.

Yang had never been the type to hold onto anger. Even now, though she felt some frustration with Ruby still, she couldn't find it in herself to stay mad at her. At this point, all she wanted was her baby sister back, but…she wasn't sure who this was anymore. This Ruby wasn't just sad and tired, but _dangerous_. Yang saw that move she pulled earlier, slaying two full grown giant Nevermore's with ease. Crescent Rose had always been sharp, but Yang wasn't a fool. Even without the bone armor of other Grimm, Nevermore feathers were even tougher than armor. And somehow she'd cut clean through them?

Not to mention her stunt with the Elder Sandworm back in Vacuo. Yang knew she'd lost some of her edge in her eight-year bender, and Weiss wasn't all there to have kept hers. Even Blake had spent more time hunting people than Grimm to keep her Huntress skills up to par, but Ruby had gone to another level Yang hadn't expected. It reminded Yang very strongly of their uncle…but that also reminded her of how their uncle was a drunk and oftentimes a degenerate. Their uncle had some serious issues he refused to discuss with his family, and Yang could see Ruby had followed in the same footsteps as him. Something was wrong with her; Yang just didn't know what.

Yang was shaken out of her thoughts by a familiar face flopping down in a chair at the table next to her. Raine let out a big sigh of relief before giving a casual salute to the four women. She tilted her head meaningfully to the ground before her, and as all four women looked down a tiny bark sounded out.

"Zwei!" Ruby grinned, a truly genuine smile on her face as he wagged his tail and leapt into her lap.

"He wouldn't stop whining till I brought him to you guys," Raine remarked offhandedly, giving Zwei a good natured wink. Zwei turned and yipped at her, causing Raine to guffaw. "Man, he's quite the handful isn't he?"

"You have no idea," Blake replied, rolling her eyes. Zwei huffed in Blake's direction, before curling up in Ruby's lap with his nose pointed towards Weiss. Weiss ruffled his ears, a smile stretched across her face too as Ruby patted him on the back.

Yang watched them with a soft smile on her face. Maybe they weren't the same women they were eight years ago. Maybe their family was fractured and twisted, filled with dark memories, fears, and nightmares all rolled up into one. But…something told her that if they tried hard enough, if they worked at it, maybe they could repair some of those fractures. Maybe they could be together again. They couldn't go back. But maybe, just maybe, they could go forward. Together.

* * *

"So…err…how's this gonna work?" Yang asked, eyeing the two single bed rooms that Roze had managed to procure for them.

Blake shrugged. "I can sleep on the floor Yang, it's not a problem. You take the bed."

"No way in hell am I letting you sleep on the floor! I will," Yang replied hotly.

Ruby took one glance over at Weiss, and seeing the yawning woman with her glazed over eyes, rolled her eyes. "Oh just sleep together already! That's what me and Weiss'll be doing."

"Weiss and I," Weiss corrected absently, before her eyes shot open in bewilderment as Yang and Blake gaped at Ruby.

Ruby threw her hands up in the air and growled at nothing. "I didn't mean like _that!_ Weiss snuck into my sleeping area yesterday and it's pretty obvious she'll just do the same today, so I'm not bothering to fight it."

Weiss flushed slightly, turning away from the inquisitive glance of the other two. "Well, yes, I did, but I wasn't- "

"Weren't thinking clearly, I get it. I'm not mad at you for it, Weiss. But it'll just happen again. Besides, we only have two beds, and no one's going to let anyone else sleep on the floor. You guys won't let me sleep on the roof after all," Ruby ended her statement with a small pout and a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What is it with you and the roof?" Blake asked, eye twitching.

"Psh. She was like that as a kid. Drove dad nuts, she'd always be climbing trees and napping, or slipping out onto the roof at night. Hell, remember back at Beacon when she snuck into Ozpin's office and fell asleep?" Yang replied.

"I like being high up, ok?!" Ruby exclaimed. "It's more comfortable for me up there."

"Yeah well, for now, let's stick to the top floor of the inn, ok?" Blake raised her hands and patted the air in a signal for everyone to calm down. Ruby subsided with a deep breath.

"Fine, fine. Like I said, let's just share the beds and stuff," Ruby said, tilting her head towards the room next to her. Weiss gave another yawn and waved goodbye to the other two, before stumbling into the room and plopping face first onto the mattress without another thought. Zwei immediately leapt onto the bed above her and began spinning in place in the well-known doggy pre-sleep ritual.

Ruby glanced over at Blake and Yang with worry in her eyes, dropping her voice lower so as not to disturb Weiss. "Is she ok? She seems so worn out."

Yang shrugged. "I know her summons take a lot out of her, and she's been using them heavily past couple days. But we finally got her to eat, so she could also just be a bit tired from that. But, are _you_ ok?"

Ruby blinked rapidly. "Me? I'm fine."

Blake glared at Ruby, but unnoticed by Yang who was looking directly at Ruby. Yang glanced down at Ruby's leg, looking at the hole torn in her pant leg. "You took a pretty big hit from that feather."

Ruby looked down almost absently before shrugging. "It's mostly healed; it'll be fine by tomorrow. I've gotten good at Aura healing for myself."

Yang sighed at that statement. "Yeah, I imagine so…"

Ruby hesitated for a moment, before stepping forward and giving Yang a brief hug. "Goodnight, Yang. You too, Blake."

Yang squeezed back gently, but let Ruby go with only a brief moment of hesitation when she tried to step back. "G'night Rubes."

Blake waved casually to Ruby, plastering a smile on her face as Yang glanced at her. "Goodnight."

Ruby nodded at the two of them, before spinning about and closing the door behind her to the room as she headed towards the mattress where Weiss' form was sprawled out.

Yang turned back to Blake and gestured to the room beside them. "Well?"

Blake flushed slightly as she entered, but she toed off her shoes and removed Gambol Shroud without looking at Yang. She grabbed up her sleepwear, a dark nightdress similar to her old one, and quickly changed with her back to Yang. The rustling of clothing behind her had her imagination going wild, but she quickly shoved it back into her mind. She had seen Yang in stages of undress many a time back in the dorms, they were four women in one room for four years after all, but something felt different this time.

Turning back around, she was greeted to the sight of Yang in the same old yellow tank top and shorts she used to wear back in the dorm, and the sight of it gave her a feeling of comfort she hadn't felt in a long time. She smirked at Yang. "You _still_ have those?"

Yang gave a shrug. "Too lazy to get new ones. Besides, comfy!" Yang launched herself at the bed, bouncing slightly on the mattress as she stretched out on the left side. She patted the side next to her and winked at Blake, making Blake's mouth go dry. "C'mon Blakey, it's sleepy time!"

Blake slid onto the other side of the mattress, swallowing quickly to try to get the dry feeling out of her mouth. She turned on her side to face Yang, Yang rolling over to mirror her posture as she flipped the light switch on the nightstand next to her. Yang's smile changed from playful to soft as she looked at Blake, making Blake's own expression soften as well. Blake opened her mouth to speak, but Yang beat her to it.

"Don't ruin this. Let's just relax and sleep. K?" Yang's smile took out the sting from any of her words, and Blake just answered her smile as she nodded in reply. Yang reached out and slipped one arm over her, pulling her closer and nestling into Blake's hair. Blake returned the gesture, sighing softly as she rested her head just beneath Yang's, curling into the warmth Yang gave off once more. Blake let sleep overtake her, feeling safe in the warm surrounding her and the scent of citrus that weaved its way through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never labeled Weiss or Nora's disorder because while I did feel it sounded like schizophrenia, I'm not comfortable enough to diagnose it as that. I have known a few in my time, but one thing I pride myself on knowing is that I simply don't know everything and shouldn't take my own knowledge for granted. Now, if it is coming off as that, I'm kinda glad cause at least I got it somewhat on target :P But to your concerns, I do say two things. One, you're absolutely right to say that in our world there is no pure cure. But remember, the girls don't actually know that. None of the women know what is wrong with Weiss (or Nora for that matter) so when they say they'll try to fix her, well, they mean it...doesn't mean they are right. But, the second thing is we don't know what strides Remnant may or may not have made with psychiatric care or medicine. Remnant routinely breaks the laws of physics, and Aura is so nebulously defined I think every author on this site has a different idea of what its capable of. Does that mean that's the route for her 'recovery' I'm taking? Not necessarily. I can't say more without spoilers, but just wanted to clear that up as my main reasoning. If any of that makes sense? Anyways, thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed the story, hope you continue to like it just as much!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one thing to say to this chapter...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ruby woke slowly, grumbling as she nuzzled closer to the source of warmth beside her… _'Oh hell, not again,'_ she thought as she slowly opened her eyes. She let out a huge sigh as she realized she and Weiss were entangled, again. She took a moment to take stock of the situation. Her left was wrapped securely around Weiss' waist, as her right lay beneath Weiss' head. Weiss' back was pressed tightly to her own, her hair tickling Ruby's nose. She snorted loudly, making Weiss' hair fly away from her face, and making Weiss give out a helpless noise as she snuggled deeper into the blankets, sending Ruby's heart into overdrive. Her heart skipped a second beat as she realized that due to their positions, it was far more likely _she_ had been the one to move in the night, not Weiss.

Weiss had been practically dead to the world the evening before. She hadn't even removed her boots when she had flopped onto the bed. Ruby hadn't felt comfortable trying to change Weiss into pajamas, but she couldn't let her sleep so uncomfortably. She remembered removing Weiss' boots and leggings, trying her utmost to not only not wake the sleeping woman, but to avoid touching her skin since every tap on that cool, pale skin made certain thoughts fester in her imagination that had no business being there. She's removed her jacket carefully, baring Weiss' shoulders to her gaze, enough that Ruby had to turn away as she shucked off her own cloak and boots.

Since Weiss was asleep anyways, Ruby quickly changed over her clothing, switching out to a long sleeve undershirt and wearing a t-shirt over it, covering up any scars she'd gathered over the years. She'd left her long pants on, since they were clean enough to sleep in. She remembered repositioning Weiss on the bed so her feet weren't dangling off the edge (and giving herself enough room to lay down since Weiss had collapsed in the center), and sticking her tongue out at Zwei when he grumbled at her for screwing up what he clearly felt was a fine sleeping position, as he'd happily been curled up right above her head before Ruby moved her.

But she had no recollection of how she ended up _spooning_ Weiss. After she'd gotten her situated, Ruby had simply taken her side of the bed and willed herself to sleep, which came surprisingly easy for once, even with her being inside a building instead of outside. Yet somehow, here she was, Weiss' form wrapped in her arms, and…yep, their legs were entangled. Ruby became the color of her namesake as she realized how tightly she had Weiss pressed against her and how good it felt, in more ways than one.

She tried to disentangle herself, but a soft, sleepy whine escaped from Weiss' sleeping form, forcing Ruby to stop as she flinched at the sound. _'How the hell am I supposed to discourage her when she does things like THAT?!_ ' Ruby thought to herself, internally frustrated with how ridiculous her feelings were being. Ruby sighed internally to herself, before relaxing as best she could. She couldn't move without waking Weiss, and she knew Weiss needed the sleep.

A ruffling of her hair followed by a huff had Ruby tilting her head backwards so she could glance above her, just in time to get a face full of Zwei slobber as he began licking her face haphazardly. " _Zwei!_ ' Ruby hissed, belatedly modulating her tone to be quieter in order to avoid waking up Weiss. She took the hand over Weiss' waist and threw it up, trying to push Zwei off her while simultaneously trying to wipe his saliva off her face. She sputtered as he managed to land one on her open mouth, glaring up at the dog who simply gave her that little doggy grin as he did it again.

That was the scene Yang opened the door to. Ruby, wrapped up as big spoon around a still snoozing Weiss, glaring at a dog seated above her on the bed who portrayed the most innocent expression as he casually wagged his tail and panted. Yang rocked back in surprise, before a slow smirk spread its way across her face. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe. "Wow Rubes, making moves on poor, innocent Weiss. I'm scandalized!" Blake appeared silently behind Yang and arched an eyebrow at Ruby.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she turned to gaze at Yang with a shocked expression on her face. She opened and closed her mouth rapidly, before she shook her head rapidly. She went to respond, but froze up as she felt Weiss stirring against her. Weiss yawned widely, stretching her arms out over her head. Still waking up, she jolted as her elbow hit something hard and a sudden, sharp 'ow!' sounded out from behind her. She swiftly sat up, hair flying wildly as she glanced about, seeing Ruby holding her nose with one hand as Zwei began licking at her face again, her other now freed hand trying to push Zwei away.

"Ruby, wha-?" Weiss asked, confused, before she noticed Yang and Blake in the doorway. With an eep, she tried to leap off the bed onto her feet, but her legs were still tangled with Ruby's and she lost control, rolling off the bed and falling to the floor with a loud thud, facedown. Ruby, tangled with her as she was, was dragged off with the sheets and pulled on top of Weiss, landing her heavier form on the smaller woman with a loud crash and groan from Weiss. Ruby blinked in surprise, before scrambling to get to her feet and get off Weiss, who was still face down on the floor.

Yang's laughter could not be contained anymore, as she was nearly bent over laughing at the two flustered and confused women. Blake was giggling quietly behind Yang, one hand over her mouth to muffle her chuckles, but Yang had no such compunctions as she guffawed loudly. Ruby clambered to her knees, carefully reaching for Weiss and rolling her over to make sure she was ok. Weiss had her eyes closed, before she slowly opened ice blue eyes to stare up at the ceiling. With a long suffering look on her face, she slapped one hand over her forehead and slowly dragged it down, sighing heavily.

* * *

"You two looked so cute together, all snuggly and cuddly," Yang said with a teasing grin. Ruby groaned and planted her face in her hands, refusing to look up as Weiss steadfastly ignored Yang's teasing. Blake laid her hand on Yang's shoulder, grinning widely.

"Now now, we should let them each their breakfast in peace," Blake admonished. She winked at Yang as Yang pouted at her. "But after that, we should give them space so they can get back to being all cuddly and snuggly."

"Oh come on!" Ruby exclaimed loudly, slamming her head onto the table and leaving it there as she slumped against it. She let her arms hang down as she sighed.

"Weiss, you should hurry up and eat, you'll need plenty of energy for 'activities'!" Yang sang out, the smile stretching across her face as Weiss' pale visage went bright red in moments.

"S-shut up you blonde oaf! Ruby and I are not doing anything uncouth like you are implying!" Weiss practically screeched, before she froze as she realized how loudly she'd said that. Roze snickered as he walked past their table, setting a pot of coffee in the center.

"Now little missy, no need to be so loud, 'm sure ya'll weren't doing nothin'. Didn't hear a thing last night, did we Raze?" he called out to his sister behind the counter.

"Other than all that moaning, not a thing!" she called back, smirking as Weiss gave up and sunk her head down to mirror Ruby's posture. Roze cackled as he picked up the dirty plates, swiping the table quickly with a cloth as he winked at Blake and Yang.

"So, Yang, ya stickin' around?" he asked, head tilted to the side.

Yang glanced away for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "I'm afraid not. I…made a promise we'd go back and try to, to…you know, to…"

"Make yer family right, eh? No worries there, I gotcha," he responded with a smile. A contemplative expression went across his face as he gazed down at Yang again, his rugged features softening for a minute. "Ya know…we never got a chance to thank ya for what ya did for us, after that Pyrrha lady came by for ye. Ya kept this town going, kept us safe. 'm just glad ya found yer family again. Best of luck to ye."

Yang gaped up at Roze for a moment, before gulping and replying in a voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. I'm sorry for any trouble I cau- "

"Hup hup hup!" Roze raised his free hand in the air to forestall her. "Ya ain't caused us no troubles. But we hope ya come back to visit, after ya get all settled in."

Yang drew her sleeve across her face, wiping away watery eyes as she smiled at Roze. "Course, I'll come visit you guys, I promise!"

Roze just gave a final smile as he stepped off towards the counter, taking the remaining dishes with him. A quick cough from near them had Yang and Blake looking up to see Raine leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. "Airship's ready if you four are…what the hell is wrong with those two?" She quirked an eyebrow at Ruby and Weiss, Ruby groaning again at Raine's voice.

Blake giggled as Yang winked at Raine. "Not a thing, just a teensy bit of embarrassment."

Raine tilted her head at the group. "What, catch them with their pants down or something?"

Yang burst into laughter as Weiss lifted her head up from the table just to slam it back down again. Blake laughed loudly, her musical laugh making Yang take note as she threw a sly sidelong glance at Blake and smiling softly at the sound.

"It's a long story, Raine. I'll tell you later," Blake promised as she pushed her chair back to stand, still chuckling.

Raine shrugged. "Aight. Let's get going."

* * *

Landing in Atlas wasn't something Ruby ever thought she would do again, but here she was, stepping out of an airship into a large, open area in the center of what Blake called the 'Reclamation Zone'. She gazed around, noted with detached interest the clear signs of recent construction…a pile of wood here, a few metal bars there, the shadow of a large crane off in the distance. And _people_ , people walking around in Atlas, talking, laughing, carrying on. People, just as they were in other cities and towns, back in the city Ruby had thought was lost forever.

"It's rather nice to see, isn't it," Blake asked her, voice quiet and contemplative. Ruby gave a noncommittal noise in return.

"I can't say I was expecting this," she admitted.

Blake nodded. "We've worked really hard to rebuild this. Ozpin is determined to bring back what we've lost."

Yang turned to eye Blake shrewdly. "Does that include Vale?" Yang ignored how Ruby's gaze turned razor sharp as her head snapped to look at Yang, ignored how Weiss instantly perked up to attention. Yang kept her attention solely on Blake to watch her reaction.

Blake took a deep breath. "I don't know. He hasn't told any of us what he plans beyond rebuilding Atlas. But…" she took a moment to step away and look up at the sky contemplatively, before speaking again in a soft voice. "I know I want Vale back. I know JNPR does. And I know that deep down, Ozpin does too. We all want Vale back, because…"

"Because it's ours. It belongs to us, not to the Grimm, not to Cinder Fall. It belongs to _us_ ," came Ruby's response, her voice thick with emotion.

Blake nodded. "Yes. That's why."

"But we'll never get it back," Ruby whispered, her shoulders slumping.

"What? Why would you say that Ruby? We can get it back!" Weiss exclaimed, eyes wide as she turned to Ruby. It wasn't like Ruby to be so…defeatist.

"Oh, you mean like how we lost it to begin with?!" Ruby snapped back at Weiss, making the older woman jerk back in surprise. "We couldn't stop the Fall, what makes you think we can retake the city? Eight years and they haven't even taken back Atlas!"

"Hey, they did a lot! Pyrrha told me they got almost a third of it back already! Chill out sis!" Yang ordered.

Ruby rounded on Yang, snarling as she stepped up to face her. "Oh wow, a whole third! What an amazing feat! They totally have saved the day, let's throw a damned parade and call it a success, how about that?"

"The hell is your problem?!" Yang demanded, clenching a fist. "I'm getting real sick of these pessimistic tantrums you keep throwing!"

"And that means what, exactly? You going to hit me, again? Fix everything with your fists, right? That's how you work, isn't it, _big sister_ ," Ruby replied in a mocking tone, before spinning away from Yang.

"Ruby, you promised!" Blake exclaimed, grabbing Ruby by the shoulder. Ruby threw her hand off and spun back around to glare at Blake.

"I'm here, aren't I? Right here, dragged back to where I watched some kid's parents fucking _die_ because I was too fucking slow! That's where you brought me! But I promised I'd be here, so here I fucking- "

"Miss Ruby?" a small voice spoke meekly from behind the four furious women. Ruby's angry gaze traveled behind Blake's form to a small child, her purple hair swaying gently in the wind and blue eyes wide in shock. Ruby's rage faded as she took in the small child looking at her with wide, innocent eyes, hands clasped before her.

"Um…who are you?" she quirked her eyebrow at the child, not noticing how Blake instantly went stiff, not noticing how Yang started waving her hands frantically behind her back at the child.

She smiled brightly at Ruby. "I'm Lily!"

"…how do you know my name?" Ruby asked curiously.

"I know _all_ about you! My auntie told me everything Miss Blake told her about you! I've been wanting to meet you for as long as I can remember, and that's a long time, like three years!"

Ruby continued to gaze curiously at the child. Something was twinging in the back of her head, it felt like it was right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out who this child was. Something seemed so damned familiar…something about the Aura surrounding her, incredibly strong for such a small child, something about it felt so _familiar_.

Blake was frozen in place. She was cursing herself for being a fool. She'd wanted to tell Ruby about Lily before they even made it to the city, just the two of them, to give Ruby a head's up. But it had completely slipped her mind, vanished from her thoughts from the brief moments of happiness they had been building together back in the village. They'd have such a good morning, she hadn't wanted to ruin it with thoughts of the past or the future, just wanted to have some fun. She knew even with how embarrassed Weiss and Ruby had been they had enjoyed it as much as she and Yang had, they'd felt like a real family for a moment, but oh Dust she had fucked up.

"Lily, now is probably not the time- "Blake began, hoping to intercede before any further damage could be done, but Lily was not a patient child.

"But I wanted to talk to the lady who saved me!" Lily whined, pointing at Ruby. Blake bit her tongue as everything seemed to grind to a halt, Ruby's body frozen in place as she stared at Lily.

**_…Bzzt…_ **

_The child…the child she'd taken to the nurse. The building. The fire. Her parents. Eight years ago. She'd tried so hard, wanted to be the hero, but she'd been a failure. A failure. The same failure she still was. This child was parentless, thanks to her._

**_…Bzzt…_ **

"You should talk to her later, we just got back, I promise you can talk later," Blake tried to say pleadingly, but Lily had already turned away from her to look at Ruby and cock her head in a confused fashion.

"Miss Ruby? Why are you getting upset?" Lily asked, all eyes turning to Ruby's form as she began to shake. A single drop of blood spilled from her lip where she'd bitten through it, not blinking as she stared at Lily.

**_...Bzzt…_ **

_You failed her. She's an orphan now, because you failed to her parents. You were too slow. Failure. Just another failure. A monster._

**_...Bzzt…_ **

"Miss Ruby, you're not a monster!" Lily exclaimed, moving closer to Ruby. "You're my hero!"

**_...Bzzt…_ **

_Hero? That's what you wanted to be, but no, you've never been. A hero? No. You killed them. You failed them and they died, so you killed them. A killer. A murderer. That's what you are. They put their lives in your hands and you failed them. You deserve to pay for what you've done. Murderers are executed, right? They die. That's what you do with someone who kills people. You kill them._

**_...Bzzt…_ **

"Miss Ruby! Why are you so upset? Don't run away!" Lily reached up and placed her hand softly on top of Ruby's shaking one. The briefest touch, the tiniest brush of her small fingers against Ruby's broke her frozen form.

Ruby was gone. A single rose petal left in her wake, but everything else about her had vanished into the wind, nothing but an echo on the wind, the tiniest scent of roses as she disappeared.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything special to say about this chapter to be honest. I just hope you all enjoy it. I also hope everyone is taking care of themselves. I present to you, chapter 25.

" _Shit!_ " Blake cursed, spinning about rapidly as she tried to find a trail for Ruby. "We have to find her and we have to find her _now!_ " Lily reached up and tugged on Blake's sleeve, but Blake shook her off gently. "Not now Lily, we have to find Ruby."

Yang stepped forward, eyes narrowed as she looked at Blake. "Why are you so scared? She's run off before, won't she just come back?"

Blake kept darting about rapidly, looking for some sort of indicator of the direction Ruby has disappeared, replying distractedly. "Not this time. We have to find her, help me look!"

"…Blake, you're hiding something from me," Yang said in a low voice, hands clenched at her sides. "Did you know she'd run?"

"Of course I didn't! But we have to find her!" Blake replied, before giving out a groan of frustration. "Dust dammit Ruby why don't you ever leave fucking trails?!"

Lily tried to tug on Yang's sleeve, but Yang ignored her. " _Blake_!" Yang reached out and grabbed Blake by the shoulders, glaring down at her. " _What_ are you so scared of?"

Blake struggled to get out of Yang's grip, but Yang's hands just gripped on her shoulders tighter. Blake stared into Yang's eyes, noticing how the red had begun to creep in, and found she couldn't keep looking at Yang. Blake broke the staring contest and looked away at the ground. Yang's tone dropped lower, pleading. "Blake, what aren't you telling me?"

"…Ruby's hurting. Something's wrong with her," Blake replied, just as quietly.

"I _know_ that! But what aren't you telling me? I'm her sister, I need to know!" Yang shook Blake gently, loosening her grip slightly as she realized it had become practically bruising.

"Ruby's been hurting herself. Intentionally."

Yang let go of Blake and stumbled backwards, eyes wide. She stared at Blake's meek form, shaking slightly, before she clenched her fists at her side and grit her teeth. "…you knew, and you didn't tell me?"

"Ruby made me promise not to! I told her I'd say something when we got back to Atlas, but she didn't want me to bring it up until we got here!" Blake exclaimed, trying to defend herself.

"When did you find out?" Yang seethed, eyes having gone from lilac to a pure, deep crimson.

"…Sun told me. He said it was a rumor he'd heard."

"So before we even met Ruby, you knew. That's what you mean."

Blake frantically waved her hands before her, voice pleading. "It was only a rumor! I didn't want to bring it up until I was sure! I didn't think you'd handle…it…" she trailed off.

"Because I was drunk, right? You didn't think I could take it because I'm a worthless drunk like my uncle, that's what you're saying?" Yang shot back.

"No! I didn't say that! Don't put words in my mouth!" Blake replied with some heat.

"You were thinking it! Don't fucking deny it! You threw my clothes at my head just cause I had a couple of drinks!"

Blake began shaking in place, her fists clenched, before she shouted back. " _Yeah, I was angry at you!_ I still am! It wasn't _me_ who abandoned this team! It wasn't _me_ who ran off! It wasn't _me_ who punched Weiss in the face! I stayed! I tried to help! I tried to find you three after you three left me! Left me alone, with nothing, with no one! JNPR didn't run, they worked together and made it out! But Ruby disappears and you flip out and Weiss goes off the rails and all three of you left me all alone, took away everything I had left, everything I needed to survive, you _took it away!_ And you want to blame me for not trusting your emotional judgement when the last time I did you nearly broke Weiss' jaw and went off to become a drunk in some no name village in the ruins of the city?"

"Don't fucking blame me for Ruby leaving, she chose to!" Yang screamed back, marching up to loom over Blake.

Blake didn't back down, pushing Yang away from her and glaring at her. "I don't blame you for Ruby leaving, I blame you for _you_ leaving!"

As the argument escalated, Weiss felt a tug on her sleeve. She'd been standing quietly, trying to come to terms with Ruby's disappearance and Blake's admission of Ruby hurting herself, and trying desperately to keep her mind on track. She felt the fog creeping in, but she didn't want to give in, not now. She needed to think straight, needed to find Ruby…wait, the tug?

Weiss glanced down to see Lily looking up at her with tearful eyes. Lily had one arm clasped over her chest, blue eyes wide and innocent with tears gathering in them. "Please make them stop. It hurts. Please, Miss Weiss, please make them stop. They need to find Miss Ruby, she's hurting, but they are hurting and so are you and please, it hurts, make them stop."

Weiss felt her heart break at the pleading tone in Lily's voice, but her words cut through the fog in her mind. She hadn't been one of the top students at Beacon for no reason. She narrowed her eyes as she dropped to one knee before Lily, placing on hand on her shoulder and speaking softly. "What do you mean, it hurts? What hurts?"

Lily bit her lip and tapped her chest. "In here, it hurts."

Weiss cocked her head at Lily. "You mean you're sad?"

Lily shook her head no rapidly. "No! I'm not sad, you guys are sad. It hurts!"

Weiss blinked rapidly, before a single thought spread across her mind in a flash. Her eyes went wide, before a calculating look spread across her face. "Lily, how do you know we are sad?"

"Because you are," Lily replied, confusion apparent on her face.

"Yes, but how do you _know_ ," Weiss said insistently.

Lily stomped her foot angrily. "Because I know!"

Weiss made a contemplative noise. "Lily, do you always know how people feel?"

Lily nodded her head. "Yeah! And you guys are hurting, and it _hurts_ , please make it stop."

"Do you know what Ruby is feeling?" Weiss asked urgently.

"She's hurting too. She's going to the place she found me. I don't know why. But she wants it to stop hurting."

"Wait, how do you know where she's going?"

Lily stomped her foot angrily again and rolled her eyes. "Because I _know_! I told you that. She doesn't know she's going there, but that's where she'll stop running."

Weiss paused for a moment, before nodding decisively. "Alright Lily. Thank you. Why don't you go back to your family? I'll take care of these two, ok?"

"I don't know if I can. It hurts too much!" Lily said, wincing as she clutched her arms around her chest.

She eeped as Weiss pulled her into a gentle hug, cooing softly. "I'm calm. See, right now, I'm calm. Just listen to me, ok?"

Lily returned the hug gently, sighing softly as she held onto Weiss' midsection. "You're still worried about Ruby."

"Yes, I am. But that's ok to be, because she matters to me. But I'm not angry. I'm going to find her, thanks to all your help. And we'll be ok."

Lily squeezed Weiss tightly, letting go of her and stepping back. "Thank you Miss Weiss. I feel a little better."

Weiss smiled softly at her, before jerking her head to the side. "Run along, ok? I'll take care of these two."

"Ok!" Lily nodded, before she bolted off with the speed only a child could seem to find.

Weiss took a deep breath before narrowing her eyes. She drew Myrtenaster, climbing gracefully to her feet. She turned to face the still bickering women, taking note of how Yang was towering over Blake with flames flickering about her hair, how Blake's ears were flat against her skull but the fur on them was sticking up.

Weiss didn't bother to warn them. A quick flick of her wrist and the two women found themselves quite literally bound by runes, as flicking white glyphs wrapped themselves around both their hands and feet, pulling them away from one another with force. The flames in Yang's hair died out of pure shock as she gaped at the fuming Weiss stomping between the two of them, glaring at them both.

"Instead of sitting here and fighting over the past, we should focus on finding and stopping Ruby before she does something stupid. Especially since the two of you were hurting Lily with your idiotic fight!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yang snarled, trying to break her way out of the glyphs wrapped around her.

Weiss rounded on Yang, glaring at her. "Lily has a Semblance. She's an empath! She feels what the people around her feel!"

"…what? How is that…how is that possible?" Blake gasped.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "It explains how she knows what you're feeling, doesn't it? You told us she does that all the time. Well, while you two were busy getting in each other's faces, she was in _pain_ , thanks to you. She begged me to stop you because it hurt!"

"Why didn't she tell me?" Blake asked, aghast.

"How do you expect a child to explain that to you? And she tried to get your attention, but you were too busy fighting with Yang to listen!"

"Ok, fine, she's an empath, how does that help us find Ruby?" Yang demanded, still frustrated that she couldn't escape Weiss' bonds.

"She also seemed to know where Ruby was going. Clairvoyance maybe, who knows. Semblance's have to evolve over time, you know this. Clearly she has a lot of work ahead with one as powerful as that, but she's a child. She gave us what we need to find Ruby, and if you're right about her Blake, we have to find her _now_. Not after you two are done with your fight, _now_. So shut up and let's go find our leader."

Blake blinked as the glyphs released her. She glanced over to see Yang rubbing her wrists as they disappeared off of her body as well. Yang's eyes closed and she took a deep breath, before she opened them again, the crimson that had burned across them fading back into lilac.

"She's right. Let's…let's find Ruby and deal with that later," Yang said as she met Blake's eyes for a split second, before looking away.

"Y-yeah. Ok," Blake managed to stutter out.

"Lily said Ruby was going to the place Ruby found her…so, the building that collapsed, right? Do you remember where it is?" Weiss asked, turning to Blake.

"Yes. But, are we sure she's right?"

Weiss shrugged. "We don't have a better option."

"…you are surprisingly…umm…" Blake trailed off as she spoke.

"Not psychotic?" Weiss added with an arched eyebrow. Blake flushed in embarrassment. "I can feel it, in the back of my mind. It's there. It's not going away. But right now, all I want is to make sure Ruby is safe. I need help. Yang needs help. She needs help. We can get it here, but we have to be together to get it, right?"

"…I probably need help too," Blake sighed as her shoulders slumped.

"Then let's find her before something happens," Yang said.

Weiss nodded. "Lead on, Blake."

* * *

 Ruby was running but she didn't know where. She didn't care. She needed to get away, needed to find air. She couldn't breathe, all she could feel was this pressure on her chest, this constant pounding in her skull that wouldn't let her think. Lily's face, Lily's voice, this child whose life she had ruined. Ruby didn't even know where she was running to, or what she'd run through. Years of running had made her an expert at it, her semblance making her nothing but a blur through streets long empty of the influence of civilization.

She'd left the grounds of the project behind in moments, found herself blurring through city streets that hadn't seen the steps of anything but animals and Grimm in years. Burned out husks of broken skyscrapers, dilapidated houses and apartments with moss growing out of the cracks in the streets before them. Dark, dreary remains of what was once a bustling city, nothing but shells of what they once were.

She passed shops with shattered windows, office buildings where at a quick glance she could see desks overturned and computers lying broken in pieces on the floor. Cars overturned in pileups in the center of the street, half-finished construction projects in ruins every few blocks. Years later, it was silent, still, only the traces of wind rustling through destruction left. It was nothing like what she'd left behind eight years ago…back then it was all fire and smoke, explosions and screams. Now it was a silent tomb. Nothing left of the bodies of the people who died in the city, who tried to run but were cut down by traitors and Grimm. The people Ruby had failed to save.

She had stopped paying attention to where she was going, and she stumbled over something on the ground. Losing balance at her speed meant she went flying, skidding across the ground, ripping the brown cloak she wore off her shoulders as cracked pavement scraped across her side, ripping at her clothes and skin. She cried out in pain for a moment, before silencing herself as she slid to a stop. She deserved that fall anyways. She took a deep breath, panting slightly as she lay sprawled on her side. She let her head fall to the pavement, ignoring the twinge of pain in her neck.

She didn't bother opening her eyes. What did it matter, anymore? What did any of it matter? If she opened her eyes, all she would see was the grim specter of death before her, nothing but what little was left in a city of ruins and catastrophe. This was the result of her failures…in Vale, and in Atlas. Eight years in Vacuo didn't make up for the lives lost, the people who died. There was no justice to be had, no vengeance to be taken because Cinder was already dead. Because all of her people, her soldiers, they had died too, fighting for a cause that was nothing but hate and rage and death.

Ruby clambered to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her side. She glanced down and saw the raw red flesh, ripped open by her skid across the pavement, and willed her Aura _not_ to heal it. She'd accept it as another consequence of what she'd done, what she'd failed to do. She needed to take her punishment, her suffering to make up for the suffering she had caused others. A glance around told her she had no idea where she was, but it didn't matter. She'd just go until she found what she needed to find, until she could walk no more. Picking a direction, any direction not back towards the project, she began limping along.

* * *

 It felt like hours, before she finally had run out of energy. Gasping, she fell to her knees, bent nearly in half as she tried to hold back the bile building up in her throat from the heat and sweat covering her. She brushed her damp, limp hair out of her eyes and tried to get her breathing under control. Lifting her head up, she blinked rapidly as she realized where she was kneeling.

A nearly silent chuckle escaped her, before she began laughing maniacally as tears poured out of her eyes. Oh Dust the sweet, sweet irony. She could see the remnants of the collapsed building before her, the street sign burned into her memory nearly bent in half just a few feet away. Above her towered a massive edifice of glass and steel, and when she looked up to the sky through her desperate laughter she could see the marks of Crescent Rose still carved into the concrete walls of the skyscraper above her. She had found the place of her failure, the place she had lost herself and everything she stood for for the final time.

It had to be fate, or destiny. Something she'd never believed in before, but this was too coincidental to be ignored. Here she was, kneeling before the graves of the last two people she had failed. She hadn't even realized it, but her left hand was already holding the brilliant silver knife, the steel dull in the darkness of the cloudy skies above. She stared at it, the desire welling up within her to _suffer_ , to pay for her transgressions. She was a monster, a killer, a _murderer_. And she knew what to do to murderers.

She took off her jacket, her tunic below it, removed the undershirt she wore beneath that. Stripped off every bit of clothing between the knife and her skin, wanting nothing to get between the blade and her. Glancing down at the innumerable scars littering her torso, the twin angry red lines straight down her front, letting her right hand slowly trickle down them and allowing herself to trace the scar tissue covering her.

With another brush of her hair behind her ear, she glanced up to see the collapsed building before her once more. This would be her penance for what she did to Lily, for what she did to Yang, to Blake, to Weiss. To everyone she loved, who she had made suffer over and over, she'd pay for what she had done. And finally she'd be out of their hair. They said they wanted her around, that they needed her, but they were just deluded. Truth was, they'd be so much better without her around, they'd be so much happier. She'd hurt Yang with what she had yelled at her. Yang didn't deserve that.

And Weiss, she'd somehow screwed Weiss up and made her mind break somehow. All because she'd been around, because she'd wormed her way into Weiss' heart somehow and then broke it. Broken her. Ruined Blake's life by making her hunt her down. Blake lost out on so much because she'd been busy chasing Ruby, she knew that. So they'd be happier without her.

Sometimes Ruby wondered if there was anything past death, if she'd see her mom again, but she knew she didn't deserve to see her mom, or her dad, or her uncle again. She hoped she wouldn't, because then she'd just ruin whatever happiness they may have found together again. Everyone would be better off if she simply ceased to exist, ceased to be a factor in this world. Ruby Rose should be forgotten, by everyone, and they would. Substitute people didn't matter. And maybe if she left Remnant, maybe she'd finally stop that pain in her chest, maybe she wouldn't be so tired every second of every day. Maybe, just maybe…maybe she'd just have the peace she craved.

Holding the knife in front of her with both hands, aimed at her chest, Ruby squeezed teary eyes shut. She took a deep breath and whispered one final thing, one final apology for everything she'd ever done. "I'm sorry." Ruby pulled the knife in, thrusting with all the force she could muster towards her chest.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...yeah. Many wondered where I went! Well, TL;DR version is I landed myself in the hospital for a week and a half, and though I returned home last week, I've still been recovering. It's difficult to sit at the computer for long periods of time, and my left hand isn't being cooperative right now, so it took some time to write this up, but dammit, I wanted this chapter! For those curious about what happened to me exactly, I'll leave the sordid details to the authors note at the bottom. For now, enjoy chapter 26.

Time seemed to slow down for Ruby as the knife touched her. She could almost feel each layer of skin parting beneath the sharp tip, but her nerves hadn't caught up to the feeling. She felt the first drop of blood begin to well up from it, felt it begin to dig deeper, but was blindsided by a sudden force from the side. She went flying over, the side of her that was already rubbed raw shrieking as it slammed into the pavement and her hand went to the side, skittering across her front and ripping her skin across in a painful slash as the knife was knocked from her hand.

Stunned, her body reacted faster than her mind could, instantly trying to escape the grip of whatever had dive tackled her. She kicked out, hearing an 'oof' from her assailant, instantly realizing it was a human or faunus from the fact it spoke, but not letting herself be distracted. She tried to tuck and roll to escape, but the person held on stubbornly, the loud cry from them freezing Ruby in her tracks. _'Ruby, please!'_ came the screech in Yang's voice, making her pause for a moment as she saw a single golden tress flit into her vision.

She shook her head in negation and renewed her struggles, angry at herself for giving Yang the moment to get a better grip. Yang's one arm was now wrapped around her upper arms, her other loosely around her neck, gripping her from behind. Ruby tried to gain the upper hand and throw Yang off, but Yang only tightened her grip. " _Yang let go!_ " Ruby shouted, desperately trying to reach for her knife, but a black boot quickly stomped on the knife before kicking it away from them. Ruby snarled at that, before trying to ramp up her struggling. " _Get out of my way! I have to do this!"_

"Ruby please stop!" came Yang's desperate cry. Ruby could feel the blood in the cut across her chest leaking out slowly, pooling in the small area created by Yang's tight grip on her, smearing red across both her chest and Yang's arm. Yang yanked backwards, pulling Ruby into a sitting position with her back against Yang's chest. Yang buried her head in Ruby's neck, and as the first hot tear hit Ruby's shoulder she realized she had no chance to escape Yang's grapple, especially with her seeing Blake's shoes out of the corner of her eye blocking the knife, and Weiss' heels on her other side.

Ruby slumped back, her head drooping as Yang sobbed quietly against her skin, letting out a deep sigh. "Yang, please let me go."

" _No!_ Ruby, please, stop this, please. I need you, you're all I have left!" Yang's anguish was genuine underneath her sobs, making Ruby flinch.

Ruby let her voice fall into a whisper. "No you don't. You'd be better off without me. You all would. I'm just a burden for you."

"You've never been a burden! You're my baby sister! I love you!"

"Yang- "Ruby began, but was interrupted by a quick shake from Yang. With her eyes downturned, she could see black boots in front of her, then black leggings as they kneeled.

Blake's voice was quiet and calm, but Ruby could hear the thickness of emotion behind it as she spoke. "Ruby, you told me you knew something was wrong. You _know_ this is wrong, deep down you know it's not right, that something is wrong. Please, let us help you."

Ruby shook her head rapidly. "It's not wrong! That little girl is an orphan because I wasn't fast enough! It's _my fault_! You can't deny that!"

"How long?" Blake asked insistently.

"How long what?" Ruby replied in a whisper.

"How long did it take you to take Lily to the nurse and get back?"

There was a pause as Ruby sat in silence, eyes closed. She let out another deep sigh, before muttering "Twenty-four seconds."

Blake paused, staring down at Ruby's dropping form. She narrowed her eyes at Ruby, her lips peeling back in a tiny snarl. "Twenty-four seconds? And you think that's _too slow_? Do you even realize how far away that emergency evacuation center was? Two blocks away, and two blocks _back_. You covered that in twenty-four seconds, and you think that is too slow?"

"Since they are dead, it sure as fuck was, wasn't it?!" Ruby shot back, a little bit of heat creeping back into her tone at Blake's clearly scornful tone.

"You couldn't have done better! Don't you see that? You can't save everyone Ruby!"

"Yeah, I fucking noticed. Doesn't change what I did! Why don't _you_ see that?!" Ruby lifted her head to glare up at Blake, starting slightly as she saw the water gathering in the corners of Blake's eyes.

"So do you think we deserve to die too?" came Yang's whisper from where her head was buried in Ruby's neck.

"W-what?" Ruby jolted at Yang's question.

"Well, we failed to save people too. Doesn't that make us murderers too?" Yang barely lifted her head up, just enough for Ruby to see the tears falling down her cheeks out of the corner of her eye.

"N-no! It's different for you guys! You did your best!" Ruby exclaimed.

"How is it different? Why? We all were trying to save people!" Blake demanded.

Ruby shook her head rapidly. "S-stop trying to confuse me! It's not the same!"

"Ruby, don't you see how wrong this is? It's not different! If you don't blame us for failing to save people, then you can't blame yourself! We all tried, we are all huntresses, we all made mistakes! But that doesn't mean you need to die for it!" Blake reached out and grabbed one of Ruby's limp hands, squeezing it gently as she held it up before her.

"It doesn't matter! You'd be better off without me either way! Look at this, all three of you here when you could be doing something important, helping people, helping each other, but you're wasting your time on me!"

"You're not a waste. You're my sister," was Yang's quiet reply, squeezing her tighter. Her voice was halting as she buried her face back in Ruby's shoulder, hot tears dripping down onto Ruby's shoulder once more, slowly mixing with the congealing blood along her chest. "I need my family; please don't try to take away what I have left. Please."

Ruby couldn't take it anymore. Her own tears began to prickle her eyes as she slumped her head down once more. Even through the haze of pain and nightmares in her mind, even through the voices, Yang's genuine despair cut through it like a knife, stabbing her as assuredly as she had tried to moments before. She sucked in a deep breath and brought her own hands up to her eyes, releasing Blake's and began crying into them, hiding her face from the others. She hiccupped as she spoke, voice thick with emotion and tears. "I…I just don't want to hurt anymore."

"Then let us help you…as you help us," Blake whispered to Ruby, sliding closer to her. "Right, Weiss?" Blake turned her head to look at Weiss for the first time since they'd arrived, the white-haired woman having been silent the entire time, but her eyes went wide as she realized Weiss was shaking, eyes closed. Blood trickled down her lip from where she'd bit through it, gathering in her tightly clenched hands where her nails had pierced her palms. She kept twitching slightly, her head flicking to the side over and over in a repetitive pattern. Blake slowly climbed to her feet, reaching out for Weiss gently. "Weiss?"

Yang lifted her head up as Blake moved, looking over to see the shaking Weiss and now concerned Blake, and made a decision. She threw out one arm swiftly, grabbing Weiss' tightly clenched fist and yanking hard, making the shorter woman's eyes go wide open in shock as she nearly flew into Ruby's lap. Yang grabbed Weiss' head and pulled it onto Ruby's upper chest, mashing her ear against Ruby's chest, making Ruby stiffen and Weiss freeze, but only for a moment. Weiss, in her new position, could hear the _thump_ _thump_ of Ruby's heartbeat and nearly instantly relaxed, releasing a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

Blake smiled tearily for a moment, but Yang's sad lilac eyes met hers and gestured at Ruby's brown cloak on the ground. Blake was confused, but picked it up and held it out to Yang, who gripped Blake by the wrist and pulled her into the group as well, knocking Blake off balance enough to force her to kneel awkwardly at Ruby's other side. Yang swirled the cloak up above them for a moment, allowing it to drift down and cover the four of them, blotting out the cloudy light from above and pulling the four of them into a single tiny area, just the four of them, alone…but together.

Blake let out a single, nearly hysterical giggle at that, realizing what Yang was doing, before the giggles turned into tears that began to pour out of her eyes as swiftly as Yang's were. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around Yang and Ruby, dipping her head to rest next to Yang's, her ears twitching as she heard the different cries coming from the four women…Yang's sobs, slowly decreasing in volume…Ruby hiccupping every so often as tears dripped from under her hands…Weiss, not a single noise being made, but tears making silent trails down her cheeks as she nestled against Ruby's chest, refusing to allow her ability to hear Ruby's heartbeat be interrupted.

One of Weiss' hands reached out and clasped Blake's hand that she had thrown across Ruby's front with Yang's, the other tucked in between her and Ruby. Blake felt Weiss squeeze her hand gratefully, and she squeezed back, as Weiss quietly whispered " _Thank you._ " No one was sure who she was thanking, but it didn't matter at this time, all that mattered was the shared pain, the shared warmth and comfort, hiding from the world outside by creating their own within this cloak…just them.

* * *

Not one of the women were sure how much time had passed under the cloak, but eventually the tears had slowed down enough that Yang felt it might be time to move. She lifted her head up enough to see that Ruby had let her hands fall, and was now just gazing down sadly. Blake was taking slow, deep breaths, eyes closed but Yang could see she was shuffling uncomfortably, the discomfort of kneeling upon concrete becoming more obvious to her. Weiss had her eyes closed and was breathing slow and evenly, enough Yang was fairly certain she had fallen asleep, or at least was nearing that state.

Yang slowly lifted her arms up, disturbing the other three enough that they began to move as well. Weiss opened her eyes blearily, blinking rapidly as she pushed herself up off Ruby, just in time for Yang to pull back the cloak slowly. All four women cringed at the light, that even while dim was far brighter than was under the cloak, but they slowly disentangled themselves from Ruby's still seated form. Ruby reached for the cloak to wrap around herself, but Yang gently stopped her.

"Ruby…can we see?" Yang asked quietly, keeping her eyes focused on Ruby's silver ones and refusing to break eye contact. Ruby held her gaze for a moment before looking away, sighing deeply and nodding. The motion came in unison, as Yang dropped her gaze down, as Blake stood up to get a better view, as Weiss leaned backwards, all three glancing at Ruby's upper body.

The twin scars from Cinder's blades were the most obvious, between the actual cut and the mass of burn tissue surrounding them. Weiss bit her lip again, guilt flooding into her eyes as she looked at the ancient injury, but Yang quickly grabbed and squeezed her shoulder, knowing exactly what was going through her head. Weiss closed her eyes quickly, squeezing them tightly before opening them and continuing her examination with the others.

The now barely closed cut across the top of Ruby's chest came as next obvious, the blood smeared across her collarbone from where it had been pooling against Yang's arm. But as their eyes trailed down, it was obvious this had been going on for a while.

Thick, mottled pink skin was crisscrossed across Ruby's abdomen, some old enough to be fading back into a color close to her natural skin color, but others still a brilliant pink, and still some others that were clearly newer, colored an angry red. It looked like there were barely centimeters of space on her that didn't hold at least one scar. Some were clearly injuries from battles…jagged edges, crescent shapes of claw marks, some in perfect trios from claws…but others were deliberate, with perfect edges and leading in directions easily reached from Ruby's own hand.

Weiss slapped her hand over her own mouth, eyes watering, as Blake stepped backwards and bit her tongue to keep herself from making a sound. Yang didn't say a word, simply reached over to where Ruby's clothes lay and gently handed them to her, before clambering to her feet. She gently helped Weiss to her own and turned Weiss and Blake away from Ruby, turning as well to give Ruby what little privacy they could now as Ruby began slowly putting her clothing back on.

When Ruby gave out another sigh, and the trio could hear her move to stand, Yang was at her side in a second, holding one hand out to her. Ruby looked up, silver meeting lilac for just one moment, before she took Yang's hand and accepted the help to her feet. Ruby looked around for a moment, before her eyes narrowed. She stepped over beyond Blake, reaching down for the silver knife Blake had kicked away. Blake instantly moved to stop her, but Yang held one arm out silently in front of Blake, stopping her.

Ruby picked it up hesitantly, before sliding it into the sheathe she kept for it on her hip. Holding the sheathe for a moment, she unclipped it from her belt before marching back over to Blake. She held the sheathe out to Blake, who took it gingerly from Ruby's shaking hands. Ruby opened her mouth as though to speak, closed it again, before opening it with clear signs of a struggle on her face. "I…I-I can't throw it away right now. But I don't want it with me. C-can you keep it for me? For now? Where I…where I can't find it."

Blake glanced down at the knife, then back up at Ruby. Slowly, she nodded. "Yes. I will."

Ruby nodded jerkily. "Thank you. You…you're right. Something's…not right. With me. I just…I think I need help."

"I think we all do," came Weiss' reply, her voice a whisper as she fiddled with her clasped hands. Her head was bowed, but her voice was steady as she spoke.

Yang took a glance at the flask in her hand, not even realizing she'd pulled it out until that moment. She rubbed her thumb over the sigil, before she stowed it away with a sigh. "Yeah…"

Blake cleared her throat and stepped forward, the knife quickly being shoved into her pocket. "I…I have an idea. It's getting late. There are a couple small barracks on the Reclamation, they hold four, six, and ten people. No one uses them. Maybe…we use one of the four person ones?"

"Stay together? In the same room? Like…back at Beacon?" Yang asked, gazing piercingly at Blake. Blake nodded in return. Yang took a moment to contemplate.

"They aren't super comfortable beds. It can get a bit chilly in the ship at night. But…I mean…"

"Actually…maybe it's a good idea," Ruby responded, her gaze on the ground before her. "No one else would be there, would they?"

"Ozpin may be around. Ren perhaps. No one else really goes to the ship when its grounded. It's pretty quiet."

"Four beds?" Weiss asked, her voice slightly sad as she spoke.

Ruby sighed. "You can sleep with me, Weiss. I…know it's hard for you."

Weiss flinched at Ruby's sigh. "Is it that bad, to sleep with me?"

Ruby waved her hands frantically in front of her face. "N-no! It's fine, I mean it. I just…it's hard to get close. But…I sleep better with you, and with you two near, than I did before." Ruby looked away after her admission, refusing to look at any of the other three women.

Yang lay her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Let's just get back. We'll figure everything else out after we get there."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to walk back, even with how far Ruby had run. She hadn't taken a straight path, but Blake knew the fastest path back to the cleared zone. She also knew exactly where to go to avoid the majority of people. Some were out, but it was getting very late in the night, and the reclaimed zone was lit up by the bright fluorescent lights scattered about to keep the area lit up, leaving the four women walking through a very quiet but well-lit area. The wind was breezing through the buildings, whispering softly to them as they walked towards the massive airship.

As Blake reached up to the control panel to enter her code, the door slid open, revealing a sight familiar to all four…Ozpin, leaning heavily on his cane, a mug in his other hand, and an expression of genuine surprise on his face as he beheld the four women before him. "Blake, I didn't realize you'd already returned. And…I see you found Miss Rose." He bowed softly to Ruby, who gulped as she looked up at him. She nodded in return as Blake smiled sheepishly.

"Yes, we just got back. We had…we had some- "

Ozpin held up his hand to interrupt her. "No need to struggle to explain. It's late. You all should be getting to sleep. Did you need the Reclamation for something?"

Blake took a deep breath. "We…wanted to borrow one of the smaller barracks for the night."

Ozpin cocked his head to the side, arching an eyebrow. He took a sip from his mug, before carefully stepping out of the Reclamation. "That sounds like an excellent idea. Also explains why Zwei has been waiting outside one of the barracks rooms for hours. I could not figure out what he was waiting for, but I certainly wasn't going to make him move. Plus, he was playing with Lily beforehand, she probably tired him out. Well, no one else is on board, and I am headed off to my room. You four go ahead. I hope I'll see you all tomorrow. Oh, and…welcome back, team RWBY." With a small smile, he began to limp off towards the inner area of the Project, occasionally taking a sip from his mug.

"…how did Zwei know we were going to the barracks?" Yang asked, blinking.

Blake shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. He's your dog."

Weiss cocked her head to the side with a contemplative expression. "Lily…she must have told him."

Ruby gulped and bit her lip, before taking a deep breath as she shook her head rapidly. She took another deep breath, before asking in a halting voice. "How would Lily know?"

Weiss turned to Ruby. "I'm fairly certain Lily has a semblance. It seems one aspect is empathy, where she feels what others feel, but I believe she also has a mild clairvoyance. She told us where to find you, and she said you didn't even know you were going there."

Ruby shook her head slowly. "She was right. I didn't know where I was going. I ended up there by accident."

"Well, either way, he's there waiting for us. Let's not disappoint," Yang replied. The four women clambered up into the airship, following Blake who clearly knew where to go as she took them through it. Though they were moving rapidly, Ruby's eyes flickered about rapidly, trying to keep track of all the advanced technology she could see along the walls, watching as idling screens and displays were placed all over the ship, slowly scrolling through nighttime checks.

It took only a few minutes before the excited bark of Zwei had them in front of an open door, where a small corgi was practically hopping in place as he saw his four favorite women standing above him. Wagging his stump of a tail, and his entire behind with it, he quickly bolted inside and leapt up onto the top of the left hand bed, beginning to spin around and around, kicking at the pillow slightly, before he flopped down and instantly began snoring. Ruby let out a tiny chuckle at the sight, before giving Weiss a sidelong glance.

"Guess that's your bed for the night," Yang remarked, before stretching her hands above her head and arching her back as she stretched. "Well, if you two are gonna share...you said it got chilly at night Blake…want to join me?" Yang jerked her thumb towards the right hand bed in the tiny barracks room.

Blake let out a breath she'd been holding in and felt some tension begin to drain from her shoulders as she smiled tiredly at Yang. "Yeah…sure." Yang placed one hand on her shoulder quickly, squeezing it, before turning to Ruby.

Yang gently pulled Ruby towards her, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her softly. For the first time since they'd found Ruby, there was no hesitation in Ruby as she returned the hug, leaning into Yang's slightly taller form. Yang rubbed Ruby's back softly for a moment, before she kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, Ruby."

"For what?" Ruby muttered, her voice muffled slightly by Yang's shoulder.

"For staying here. I love you, little sister."

Ruby's shoulders shook for a moment as her grip tightened on Yang. "I love you too, Yang."

Yang let Ruby go and stepped back, smiling softly at her, before reaching out and pulling Weiss into her arms as well. Weiss let out an eep, stiffening up slightly, but relaxing in a moment as she also returned the hug. "I missed you guys. So everyone gets a hug tonight."

"I missed you too, oaf," came Weiss' reply, no malice in her tone as she spoke.

Yang just grinned, noticing Blake giving Ruby a gentle hug as well. As Yang let Weiss go, she saw Weiss immediately go to hug Blake as she released Ruby, the two gripping each other tightly for a moment before the four women ended up standing together in the middle of the room. A small sense of awkwardness surrounded them for a moment, before Yang rolled her eyes. Grabbing Blake's hand, she pulled her towards the right hand bed, waving back over her shoulder. "G'night you two. Sleep well!"

Ruby smiled at Yang as she peeled back the blanket on the bunk, gesturing at Weiss to precede her. "Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what happened to me? Collapsed my lung. Now, while serious, it's normally fairly easy to deal with medically. Note I said 'normally'. Because I am PRO at this whole 'living' thing, I of course had to have a complicated case. Apparently there is fluid around your lungs, and somehow I managed to infect pretty much all of it, which ended up squeezing my lung until it couldn't expand properly...and I never noticed until it actually collapsed. I had a very severe case of pneumonia, from some kind of respitory infection the doctor told me I had to have had for months, and yet...not a single symptom. So since I had no symptoms, I had no idea I had it, and didn't get it treated...so yay. They stuck a tube in my side to drain the fluid, but it couldn't get it all, so I had to go in for surgery. They hoped to avoid having to go in too deep, the surgeon wanted to just go in through the tube and try to fix it, but nope. Turns out they had to cut my back clean open (really big cut across my back, it's kinda freaky because I can't feel it), and scrape the fluid off my lungs. Also put two more tubes in, so I ended up with three tubes in my side. Soooo, yeah. Not an experience I'd like to replicate. Now I'm home, but I have a long term IV called a PICC line in my arm and have to take IV antibiotics every day for a month, and the holes in my side where the tubes were remain in pain; but I'm home, I'm recovering, and I can happily say I can breathe with ease as long as I don't overdo it...I will never take breathing for granted again. So, yeah, that was why this chapter is so late. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! Thanks for reading guys!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter 27! I just want to say I truly appreciate all the well wishes and wonderful things everyone said in response to last chapter! Now, as for the story, I will admit we are now in the 'calm down' stage, I'll say. Not that there aren't a lot of issues to deal with, but now the issues are known. This is the part of the story where they begin to try to heal, and I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Without further ado...Chapter 27.

Ruby wasn't sure why she had woken up sometime deep in the night. It wasn't a nightmare, no jolt or scare, no loud noise. She just found herself awake and knew, with that certainty that comes from having your circadian rhythm disrupted, that she was awake far earlier in the morning than she had planned. She lay on her back, arms spread akimbo, as Weiss cuddled into her side. She found herself staring up at the ceiling above her, her mind wandering nowhere. Today had been…difficult.

It wasn't like the pain vanished, nor was it like she had forgiven herself. But she had just enough strength to admit something was wrong, something wasn't quite right in her mind. And she had dared call Weiss the psycho one. She just needed some time to think, some time to be alone and contemplate. Ruby glanced around, seeing the pile of blankets she had to assume were her sister and Blake, and the bare, metal walls of the barracks they had commandeered. A tiny smile flit across her face at the thought, and at how childish it was for them to just try to get that dorm feeling back…but somehow, it did make her feel slightly more relaxed.

Ruby carefully extricated herself from Weiss' grasp, doing her best to keep Weiss asleep. Weiss needed her sleep and Ruby knew it, but she _needed_ some time alone, and a walk would do her good, of that she was certain. As she stood from the bed, she took in a deep breath, before the thought crossed her mind she should leave a note or something. If one of them woke and found her missing, they'd probably freak out. Glancing about, she quickly realized…she had nothing to leave a note with.

She made up her mind in a moment, and found herself standing beside the bed Yang and Blake had taken. Knowing Yang was the type to die to the world in her sleep, Ruby felt confident in the tiniest shake she gave Blake's shoulder. Blake nearly leapt out of bed, sitting straight up as she brought her hands up in a defensive posture, eyes scanning the room for enemies as Ruby took a startled step back. Holding her hands up helplessly, Ruby hissed "Blake, it's just me, Ruby!"

Blake glanced over at Ruby's form, eyes narrowed, before blinking rapidly and slowly lowering her hands. Blake took in a deep breath and shook her head to clear the cobwebs, before turning her attention back to Ruby. "Is something wrong?"

Ruby shook her head no, lowering her own hands. "Not really. I just…I need to talk a walk, just for a little while. Can't sleep. I didn't want you guys to freak out if you woke up before I got back, so…I wanted to tell you where I was going."

Blake narrowed her eyes at Ruby piercingly. "Just a walk? You'll come back?"

"I promise. I'm not…you know, in a bad place right now, I just want to walk a bit," Ruby responded.

Blake nodded slowly. "Alright. Just…come back soon, ok? Don't stay out too late."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother," she snarked, making Blake stick her tongue out at Ruby childishly.

Ruby giggled quietly. "I never thought I'd see Blake Belladonna stick her tongue out like that."

Blake shrugged. "The only thing that never changes over time is the fact that everything changes over time."

Ruby shrugged. "Anyways…I'm off. I'll be back later."

Blake nodded, before laying herself back down. Ruby smirked to herself as she saw Blake curl closer to Yang, but Blake noticed the smirk. Blake glared at Ruby. "She's warm, ok?"

Ruby muffled her giggles behind her hand. "Yeah, yeah." With that, she turned and stepped out of the barracks room, sliding the door shut behind her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them and marching off towards the exit from the ship.

* * *

 

The area that the Project had reclaimed was, in a word, different. Ruby still remembered old Atlas…it was a towering metropolis in the center, skyscrapers so high she couldn't even see the tops when the clouds were out, spiraling outward from the center in a series of progressively smaller buildings. If her memory served, where she was walking was where the richer members of the city used to live, a far more scattered region. In fact…she was almost certain that the old Schnee Estate was not far from the Project, not that anything was left of it. The Schnee estate had been one of the first targets during the Fall.

Here, it looked more like the parts of Atlas people didn't think of when they thought of Atlas. The areas where the houses and buildings were crammed together cozily, where single and dual story buildings were the norm, where you found as many people walking as you did driving. In the dark depths of the night, it was nearly silent, no stores open at this hour. Streetlights lit the way, bright white light keeping the darkness back, but they were nothing compared to the brilliant shine coming down from the shattered moon.

Ruby didn't really have a destination in mind, or a plan. She just wanted to walk, alone and unbothered. She'd done this many a time in the past eight years, letting her mind wander wherever it chose, but this was the first time she'd done it where other people were around her. Normally, she'd just wander aimlessly through deserts and forests, but here, it was through a jungle of streets and buildings, with actual _people_ in them. So…different.

Her musings were interrupted as she realized she'd stepped out of the basic border of the Project, seeing multiple half-finished buildings before her. She realized this was the next expansion zone of it, with all the construction tools lying about. She pondered how they kept it safe from Grimm, before it hit her that they probably cleared the area much further out and had alarms in place. Shrugging, she kept walking, gingerly avoiding any leftover materials out scattered upon the ground.

It was in this way she found herself standing at the edge of what she believed was the _true_ edge of the Project. She'd been walking through demolished buildings for a good five minutes before she saw it…small, twinkling red lights, embedded in the ground and sides of hollowed out houses. Grimm alarms, if she could hazard a guess. But they weren't alone.

As her eyes scanned the area, she saw the silhouette of someone standing near the edge, leaning carefully against one of the walls and gazing up at the sky. She started, reaching for Crescent Rose only to realize it was back at the barracks. Patting herself for some form of weapon, she slowed her desperate search as she took a moment to try to study the person. From her angle, she couldn't see much…a lanky individual, with blonde hair if the light wasn't playing a trick on her. The person sighed, and with that sound Ruby's eyes went wide.

"Jaune?" she asked curiously.

The person nearly leapt out of their position, arms flailing as they wind-milled to try to keep their balance. Balance was not having any of that, and they found themselves tumbling to the ground with a loud series of clanks and dings that Ruby was not expecting. She blurred over, petals following, and found herself gazing down at the worn face of someone she hadn't seen in eight years.

Jaune blinked once, twice, a third time, before his mouth finally opened, pure confusion written on his face. "Ruby? Is that really you, or am I dreaming again?"

Ruby gave a half-smile. "It's me, Jaune. It's been a while."

Jaune snorted. "'A while', yeah, let's go with that. I guess Blake and the others are back too?"

Ruby looked away guiltily, mumbling "Yeah, we got back…late, so we just went to bed."

Jaune looked at her piercingly, but decided to wave it off. "Alright. Listen, can you give me a hand up? It's not easy with these."

Ruby blinked in confusion, looking back at Jaune. "With what?"

Jaune sighed, before holding up his right arm. Ruby looked at it dumbly for a moment, before her eyes widened as she saw the metallic gleam of his fingers, hidden under the long sleeve Jaune was wearing. He chose to point down at his left leg and wiggled it slightly, the clear sound of gears whirring reaching Ruby's ears.

"Wha-Jaune, what happened?" Ruby asked, her voice quiet but worried.

"Bomb. Leftover gift from the Fall. Pyrrha got to me in time, but, well…some things couldn't be saved," Jaune said with a shrug. "Unfortunately, we lack anyone who can figure out how to calibrate these stupid things, so they don't quite work perfectly. So yeah, hand?"

Ruby reached down and went to grab Jaune's extended right arm, but he instantly retracted it and threw his left up instead. At Ruby's confused look, he clarified. "I don't have great control with it. I'd probably crush your fingers, or one of mine would pop off, or something. Rather stick to my left."

Ruby paused for a moment, before nodding and reaching, this time to his left. With a grunt, she managed to help him clamber to his feet, steadying her feet to hold him in place as he swayed. "You sure gained a bit of weight while I was gone," Ruby commented.

"Well, the contraptions weight a bit, and I have put on some muscle from working around the place, at least as little as I can do. And now that I'm actually upright…" Jaune paused in midsentence to step closer to Ruby, till he was right in front of her. He reached out slowly and carefully, putting his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug, giving her space to move out of it if she wanted. "Dust…I missed you, Crater Face."

Ruby's shoulders slumped at the tone in his voice, one full of pent up longing and nostalgia. She let out a half laugh, half sob, as she returned the hug, barely keeping the tears from flowing. "I missed you too, Vomit Boy."

"You'll be relieved to know I no longer vomit on flights!" Jaune announced triumphantly, as he released Ruby, but kept his hands on her shoulders with a half grin on his face.

Ruby lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yep! I no longer go on flights, so I have no chance to!"

Ruby let out a bark of laughter, her voice ringing out into the night air like a bell. "Guess that's one way to stop it," she managed to choke out as she chuckled. Jaune grinned irrepressibly and gave her a wink, before leaning against the wall and letting her finish her giggle fit. As she caught her breath, she turned to look at Jaune. "So…why you out here?"

Jaune gave a casual shrug with his left shoulder, letting his gaze flit upwards into the sky. "I have trouble sleeping sometimes, especially when Pyrrha's off in her room, so…I come out here to think. Sometimes Blake is out here too and we talk for a while. What about you?"

"I…just needed a walk, to clear my head. The past few days have been…stressful," Ruby replied. Ruby turned to Jaune with a confused look on her face. "What do you mean, off in her room? About Pyrrha, I mean."

Jaune made a contemplative noise. "Ah…I'm guessing Blake didn't tell you about JNPR, huh?"

"She told me you guys were here, that's about it."

Jaune made another hmm noise. "Well, I'll lay it out straight I guess. You can see what's wrong with me, obviously. Pyrrha has a drinking problem…not as bad as Yang's, from my understanding, but she has some room or building or something she stockpiles whiskey in. Every few weeks she spends the night there, just…trying to relax I guess. I don't ask her about it, don't want to upset her. Nora…well, you've been around Weiss. Nora has that problem too, but she's…better, I guess? She doesn't lose it as often; Ren came up with some exercises to help her. I think he showed a few to Weiss as well. Ren's got it better, but he's got insomnia. He barely sleeps. Nearly caused him to crash the Reclamation once when he nodded off, if Ozpin hadn't noticed in time…well, best not to dwell on it, I guess," Jaune trailed off, giving a helpless shrug.

Ruby's mind was a whirl. Nora being as screwed up as Weiss, Pyrrha drinking…and Jaune. Looking at one of her oldest and best friends, a man who she had trusted with her life more than once, and seeing the way he could barely stand on his own. Thinking about Ren being unable to sleep, nearly crashing that magnificent airship because of it. Dust damn it, was there anyone not fucked up by the Fall?

"Dunno. Pretty sure everyone got the short end of the stick," Jaune said, startling Ruby. Ruby realized she had said the last part out loud and groaned to herself at being so forgetful. Jaune patted her on the shoulder. "So, if everyone is fucked up, what's wrong with you?"

Ruby snorted. For some reason, the sheer casualness of Jaune's reply just made her nearly burst into laughter. It just seemed so out of place, when it came to the sheer insanity that had become her routine, she couldn't help it. She found herself blurting it out without thought as to where she was or what was going on. "I…I'm hurting myself. And I want the pain to stop. I…I want it to go away. I tried to, you know…end it. Yang stopped-"

"You tried to commit suicide." Jaune said in an utterly deadpan tone of voice. Ruby gulped, refusing to look up at him as she looked at her feet and nodded meekly. She could hear Jaune's deep intake of breath and flinched, expecting him to lecture her. She shied away as Jaune's hand on her shoulder squeezed lightly, before he let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry you feel that badly."

"You're not going to yell at me?" Ruby asked, lifting her head slightly.

"Yell? That's not going to do any good. It'd just make you feel worse. Besides, honestly? I'm still just happy you're alive. It's hard to wrap my mind around, the thought of you being here. I thought you dead for eight years…Blake never once gave up hope, but it was a long time, you know? Maybe I'm a bit shocked you tried, but…we all saw some awful things. It hit us all in different ways. I can't blame you anymore than I blame Nora for the time she tried to kill me with Magnhild during one of her episodes. I just don't want you to. I don't want to bury you again," Jaune's voice faded into a whisper at the end, but Ruby could hear every word clearly.

"I'm sorry. For leaving, and…yeah," Ruby replied awkwardly, unsure where to go from there. The silence between them trailed on for a few minutes, nothing but the sound of the wind whispering between buildings and destroyed regions of the city filling the void left behind.

"We should probably be getting back. It's getting pretty late…or early, I guess," Jaune said, his voice breaking the silence even as he continued to gaze up at the sky.

"Yeah. Good idea," Ruby agreed. She watched as Jaune turned slowly, his leg making a clanking noise as he took a step. She narrowed her eyes at Jaune's leg, finding herself irrationally angry at it, at the fact it wasn't working correctly. It bothered her, both because Jaune meant a lot to her, and somewhere deep inside it bothered the part of her that enjoyed fiddling around with engineering. She kept pace with Jaune, sticking to his slow walk, but inside she seethed at the problems he was facing, at the way she could see sparks pop up from his hand, at the fact he occasionally grimaced when something twisted the way it shouldn't and caused him pain.

Ruby walked Jaune all the way to the building he lived in, same one (according to him) that Blake also lived in, and watched as he carefully made his way down the first hallway. He wished Ruby goodnight with a smile, something she managed to reciprocate, but as soon as his back was turned she was gone, back towards the airship. She needed to get some sleep now…it had made her slightly happier to see Jaune, but she knew she was too tired to think clearly right now. A warm bed awaited her…and if she was honest with herself, a rather cuddly Weiss wasn't a bad thing to look forward to either.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, chapter 28...what can be said but...I hope you enjoy!

To say the morning after was awkward would be an understatement. Ruby found herself sitting on the edge of the bed, hands at her side pressing against the bed. Yang was standing by her bed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Blake sat, leaning back against the wall behind the bunk, arms folded around her abdomen, as Weiss brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, setting her chin on her knees. Zwei quickly hopped off the bed and left the room, leaving the four women alone.

Sighing, Ruby spoke up. "Ok, so…what the hell do we do now?"

"We…fix our problems?" Blake offered meekly.

Yang snorted. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know! I'm not a psychologist!" Blake exclaimed.

"Well, this is clearly going to go well. Talk about blind leading the blind," came Weiss' biting comment.

"If you don't have something useful to say, shut it, Ice Queen," Yang added, narrowing her eyes at Weiss.

"Oh because you're contributing _so_ much to the conversation yourself, brute," Weiss retorted, sneering at Yang.

"Would you two knock it off? We're supposed to be helping each other!" Blake snarled, baring her teeth at the two women.

"And snapping at them won't help either, Blake," Ruby added her two cents, arching an eyebrow at Blake.

"Don't even start with her, Ruby! This is yo- "Yang cut herself off, but not before Ruby narrowed her eyes at Yang.

"My what? My _fault_ , that's what you wanted to say, right? I'm the one who caused all this, right?"

"She didn't say that!" Weiss exclaimed, turning to look at Ruby and gesturing helplessly.

"She was going to!" Ruby shot back.

Yang shook her head no rapidly. "No, that's not what I meant, I wasn't- "

"Yang, stop, you're just making it worse," Blake cut in.

Yang spun on Blake, giving her a glare. "Oh and you're making everything better? Why keep blaming me?"

"Would you two stop already!" Weiss practically screeched as she leapt to her feet off the bed. She stomped her foot and glared at the other three women. "Dust, all this stupidity is bringing back the voices!"

"Stupidity? Oh, that's me all right, stupid. Thanks Weiss, appreciate the vote of confidence here," Ruby added snarkily.

"That's not what _I_ said either! Don't twist my words!" Weiss snapped, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Did I come at a bad time?" The soft voice from the doorway had all four women spinning about to the door, seeing the gray haired Ozpin standing in it, omnipresent mug in one hand and cane in the other. Blake gulped, her mouth moving uselessly as she tried to reply, but Ozpin waved her silent as he took a sip from his mug. "I heard everything…my office isn't far away, and the ship carries sound well. It's been many years since I was your teacher, but I've learned a few things in these past eight years. One of them being that sometimes, bluntness has a place. So let me treat you like the adults you've become and give you some blunt advice. Sometimes, it's healthy to get your grievances out, but not if you won't listen in return to each other."

He paused and took another sip, sighing gently as he lowered the mug. "Whatever wounds you've opened; they remain tender yet. Perhaps it's best if you all took a break, took some time…maybe dealt with each other one by one, instead of at once. Unfortunately, we don't have a psychiatrist here in Atlas. Also, I think Miss Rose should spend some time catching up with JNPR…they miss you."

Ruby gave an embarrassed heh and ran one hand through her hair as she looked away. "I spoke to Jaune last night."

Weiss spun about to look at Ruby in shock. "What? When?"

"I err…I went for a walk. I just needed to clear my head. Don't worry, I told Blake so you guys would know where I was."

Yang narrowed her eyes. "You told Blake, but not me?"

Ruby arched an eyebrow at Yang. "Do you have _any_ idea how difficult it is to wake you up when you're tired?! Not that Weiss is much better. I knew Blake would wake up easy, and be able to get back to sleep too. So I told her."

Yang flushed slightly and shrugged sheepishly. "I guess I can be a bit difficult to wake up, sometimes…" The disbelieving looks of the other three women in the room had her rolling her eyes. "Fine, ok, I sleep like a log, happy now?"

A cough from Ozpin brought their attention back to the older man, who had a half-smile on his face as he took in their slightly less tense postures. "Well, I've said my piece. I'll leave you to it. Oh, and Blake?"

"Yes?" Blake asked.

Ozpin nodded gravely at her. "You are officially on vacation from the project for the next week. You haven't taken time off since the Fall. Take time to reconnect with your team and your friends. Have a good day, team RWBY."

As Ozpin turned to leave, leaving Blake stunned and gaping, Ruby blurred up to his side in a flurry of petals. "Wait, Headmaster!"

Ozpin chuckled. "I'm not your Headmaster anymore, Miss Rose. If anything, I'm nothing more than a peer. But yes, what is it?"

Ruby took a deep breath before speaking urgently, her voice low enough only Blake's Faunus hearing could catch it. "Do you know where I could find information on prosthetics? Maybe even…a whiteboard or a desk with graph paper, something?"

A slow smile spread across Ozpin's face, but he hid it behind his mug as he took another sip. When he lowered the mug, his face was impassive. "Well, we converted the office next to mine into a library, that contains most of the books we salvaged, along with computer access to the database for the Reclamation. It also has a whiteboard in it. I'm sure Blake could show you where it is, she spends quite a bit of time there."

Ruby nodded. "Alright, thanks!" Ozpin returned her nod gravely, before giving the other three women a nod of recognition, and began limping off, leaving the four women be. Ruby sighed, then turned back to the other three. "I think he's right. Maybe it's best we just…take a break from each other for a bit."

Weiss bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, opening them slowly as she released the breath she was holding. "Alright. I wanted to visit my old house anyways."

"I'm going to find Pyrrha, if she's here. I wanna talk to her," Yang said as she pushed herself off the wall.

Blake sighed. "I'll show you where the library is Ruby. Then I've got some errands to run."

"So…meet back here, this afternoon maybe?" Ruby asked uncertainly.

"Sounds good. See ya later," Yang replied, brushing carefully past Ruby. She paused next to her in mid-step, before she gently lay her hand on Ruby's should and squeezed. Ruby lifted one hand up to grasp Yang's and squeezed back for a brief moment, before releasing her. Yang strode out of the room with purpose, disappearing down the hall. Blake turned to Ruby, jerking her head towards the hallway the opposing direction Yang had gone. Ruby nodded, turning to give Weiss a half wave as she followed Blake out of the room. Weiss lifted her hand in return, waving once as Ruby disappeared, before she took another deep breath and exited the room, sliding the door shut behind her.

* * *

 Yang strolled down the street, hands in her pockets as she tried to keep looking casual, but found that difficult when all the noise and bustle made her flinch. She was so used to living life through the haze of alcohol, it was actually difficult to function when she could see things clearly. And honestly, that little village was so much quieter…Atlas wasn't the metropolis it once was, but here, in the center of the project? Atlas was thriving…and Yang found it unsettling.

But, she wanted to find Pyrrha, and all she knew was JNPR lived in the same place Blake did, some sort of hunter barracks slash house they had. She hadn't been entirely sure where it was, but luckily many of the citizens of the city knew of it, and it hadn't been difficult to get directions. Snuggly situated between a coffee shop and what looked like a restaurant was the small house Yang had been told JNPR and Blake 'lived' in…most people agreed it was more the place they slept in, since they took meals wherever their mission was, and spent more time away from it than they were in it.

It was obvious to Yang that JNPR and Blake were viewed with a mixture of hero worship and pride by the people who had stayed to rebuild Atlas. More than that, being _associated_ with them seemed to get her some free pass as well…people's demeanor instantly changed when she mentioned being one of Blake's 'old friends', becoming one that was incredibly open and generous as soon as it happened.

What made Yang flinch though, were those who knew who she was. She supposed that she had made a name for herself during the Fall, and most of those who were in the city were the refugees from Vale and Atlas from before. And she did suppose she was recognizable. But Dust, the recognition hurt, when she realized they could have used her help these past eight years, and she'd just…been a drunk.

Yang shook her head. Now wasn't the time. She needed to talk to Pyrrha, and this was her best start. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door, when she heard a voice in her ear speak up.

"Hi Yang!"

Yang spun about in shock, nearly throwing a fist before she checked herself, looking at the grinning face of Nora Valkyrie, the red-head's arms clasped behind her back as she rocked back and forth. She looked inordinately pleased with herself for making Yang jump, before she leaned forward.

"Whatcha dooooooing?" Nora drawled out.

Yang took a moment to try to calm her racing heartbeat before responding. "I-I'm here to see Pyrrha."

"Well then why'd ya stand here for like, forever! She's just inside, let's go!" Nora began marching towards the door, but Yang held out a hand to stop her as she arched an eyebrow.

"How did you know I was standing here?"

Nora snorted. "Cause I was standing here too? Duh."

Yang gave Nora a flat stare as she spoke in a deadpan voice. "And you didn't say anything because…"

"Because I wanted to see what you were doing!" Nora exclaimed proudly as she planted her hands on her hips and nodded once.

Yang sighed, before smiling softly. "Same old Nora." She jerked back as Nora reached out and tapped her on the nose, Nora's smile becoming slightly strained as her face fell a small amount.

"Different Nora. Different Yang. Still besties though, right?"

Yang noticed Nora trying to hide it, but she caught onto the small note of desperation in Nora's voice as she spoke, the way her eyes flitted to the side slightly as a muscle in Nora's cheek twitched. Yang nodded. "Of course, Nora. Always."

"Good! Then c'mon, Pyrrha's- "

"Right here. You two aren't exactly quiet," came the amused voice of Pyrrha from the front door of the building, arms crossed over her chest as she grinned at the two women. "Hello Yang. Jaune told me you guys were back. Ruby's not with you?"

Yang sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, disheveling it slightly. "We're…taking a break from each other. Things got a little heated."

"Aren't thing's always a little _hot_ around you?" Nora grinned broadly as Yang stared at her with her jaw gaping, before shaking her head rapidly.

"Puns are _my_ thing!"

Nora shrugged. "Somebody had to pick up the slack while you were gone."

Pyrrha groaned. "You didn't pick up the slack, you took it to a whole new level." Nora just replied with a wink, leaving Pyrrha rolling her eyes. "What did you need, Yang?"

Yang took a deep breath, eyes flitting over to Nora before returning to Pyrrha. "Can we talk privately?"

Nora nodded her head before Pyrrha could reply. "No worries! I wanted to go find Rennie and get lunch anyways, he's probably forgotten its time again. See you later!" Nora flounced off before either Yang or Pyrrha could react, leaving Pyrrha smiled fondly at her as she disappeared.

Pyrrha turned back to Yang, opening the front door and holding it for her as she gestured inside. "Shall we?"

* * *

 Ruby stood, one hand cupping her chin as the other cupped her elbow, staring at the board before her in concentration. Blake hadn't stayed around for long after she'd shown Ruby the small library they had. She'd picked up a book and quickly disappeared, informing Ruby she'd be back at the barracks they'd stayed in since it was quiet. Ruby couldn't help but smile slightly as she realized how comforting it was that some things never did change.

But for now, she was focused. Six books lay strewn about on the wooden table behind her, each open to a different page, multiple small pieces of paper stuck between pages to act as impromptu bookmarks. The computer terminal was on and humming, a still image of a paused video on it. Before Ruby, the whiteboard was covered in schematics and even a calculation or two as she tried to decipher the tech behind the Atlesian prosthetics. It wasn't something she'd ever looked into before, but the more she delved into it, the more she found it fascinating.

She'd always thought weapons technology, especially the mecha-shift tech that allowed them to create weapons that adapted to different scenarios, was the pinnacle of what they'd invented. Well, beside the airship technology she supposed, but while that was certainly grander, hunter weapons often were far more elegant and complex, at least in her humble opinion. She'd never have thought that prosthetics would have so much in common with weapon technologies…mecha-shift was present _in_ the prosthetics too!

It was what allowed them to move as fluidly and smoothly as a normal limb. Allowed many to hide weaponry within it if they so chose, or simply to give it more room to maneuver. And Ruby was convinced that was the problem with Jaune's prosthetics…no one had calibrated the mecha-shift for him. That was why the prosthetics fought with him, why they sparked, because the very mechanism that was supposed to allow the prosthetics to move fluidly was, to put it in layman's terms, stuck. It wasn't operating. Mecha-shift had to be set, had to be calibrated to allow for certain motions, had to be set to certain limitations for weaponry so it didn't just have a blade fly off the wrong direction or something of the sort, but prosthetics operated on a different principle. Since all the mecha-shift was inside the chassis of the prosthetic, it should be calibrated as openly as possible, but Ruby would bet any amount of Lien that Jaune's was stuck at the most rigid setting possible.

The only problem she could see was…she had no Dust be damned idea how to get at it to recalibrate it! None of her research showed her _where_ the access panel was. Anything with mecha-shift had to have an access panel somewhere! She couldn't see where either the leg or the arm had their panels, much less how she could get at them. Not to mention she needed some very delicate tools that she doubted were anywhere in Atlas. Well, maybe she could repurpose some basic tools she supposed, but she'd need a workspace first. And she had to convince Jaune to let her play mad scientist on him…without Pyrrha trying to impale her. She had to imagine Pyrrha was a little protective of Jaune; she had been long ago, and now Ruby could only guess how protective Pyrrha was now.

She shook her head angrily at herself. Screw the doubts, she was going to do this. This was one thing she _knew_ she was good at besides killing Grimm. This was one thing she could do to _help_. And thinking about all this, letting her mind fall back into the part of her that loved engineering, mechanical parts, absolutely adored tweaking and playing with devices…it helped, the tiniest bit. It let her relax, just enough that she could breathe again, could take a little bit to try and forget the rest of it. This was what she'd do. Maybe it'd be enough to lessen that pressure on her chest, just lighten the load for a little while. Maybe, just maybe, she could relax enough to talk.

* * *

 It took everything Weiss had not to utterly lose herself to the voices in her head. She stood next to a single, stubborn stone column, ivy wrapped about it tightly, where it once flanked the gates to the Schnee Estate. Piles of rubble were scattered about, remnants of what once was a mighty wall of stone and concrete, moss covering them and turning their pale gray into a dark green. Before her lay the vast expanse that once was the house she'd grown up in, a house that had her mind spiraling in memories that threatened to take everything from her and leave her catatonic.

There was almost nothing left of the house she'd once grown up in, the vast mansion reduced to almost nothing after the bombs went off, not even rubble left behind. The fires that had swept across meticulously kept gardens and intricate paths woven throughout the estate grounds had not denuded the soil, for it had grown up wild and unkempt in defiance of the destruction left from eight years prior.

The grass was high and swayed gently in the breeze, wildflowers and weeds scattered about, their flowers a riot of color and scent. It reminded her strongly of the plain near the memorial in Vacuo. She took a moment to close her eyes and breathe in deeply, enjoying the freshness of the air. But something felt…off. There was a twinge inside her, just the tiniest sensation, but it was enough that her eyes snapped open and she began scanning the area.

It was when she saw it…the black shape, the burning red eyes, the white mask…wandering far on the other side of the field that was once the Schnee Estate. She'd long before left the boundaries of the project, passing the Grimm alarms she recognized, so she supposed it wasn't that unusual to see Grimm out here. A lone Ursa, casually lumbering along, sniffing the air a few times as it walked.

But the pang in her skull, the omnipresent voices, they were clamoring for her attention. This was her land. This was where she grew up. This place belonged to _her_ , not to Grimm. Her mother had lived here. Her father had lived here. Her…sister…had…lived…here…

Weiss hands began shaking as she bit her lip, eyes zeroed in on the lone Grimm wandering the grounds. She tasted blood, but dismissed it as an afterthought as her eyes narrowed, her glare so intense that she was surprised the Ursa didn't burst into flames from it. One hand slowly fell down to rest just above her blade, the things in her head hammering at her skull, a pounding headache forming as every muscle in her body began to quiver.

She tried to resist, tried so hard to ignore the urges. She cursed her hands for not moving, for getting closer to the hilt of Myrtenaster, demanding her body obey her, but the force of the voices made her hand move ever closer to the hilt. The air around her began to crystallize, her Aura freezing the water vapor in the air around her. Frost began to form on the ground, her hand barely a centimeter away from the hilt of her sword.

The Ursa stopped for a moment, cocking its head to the side in apparent confusion as it saw something. It bent down, its head disappearing into the undergrowth for a moment, before it lifted back up, a rectangular picture frame in its mouth. Even from this distance, Weiss could see the frame. It was a simple, polished wooden frame. There was only one picture in the house with that frame…the sole picture Weiss had of her with her entire family, in the early days. Winter, riding on her father's shoulders. Her mother with an arm around his waist, as Weiss was held in her other arm, the four of them with mouths open in laughter.

The only happy memory of her childhood Weiss had…and that Ursa had _dared_ to touch it, to taint it with its Grimm infection. Whatever remnant of Weiss that remained holding back the voices was drowned out, sinking into the depths of her own mind. Weiss' hand dropped down onto Myrtenaster.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, been incredibly busy at work and boy, am I exhausted. Have a much longer chapter than normal in return! :)

Blake sighed as she read the same sentence for the third time in a row. She just could not concentrate, even with it being one of favorite books. The original Ninja's of Love, the one book she hadn't wanted to ever part with and had taken to Beacon with her. When Vale fell, it had been lost in the chaos, but she had been overjoyed to find it, years later, hidden deep within the small library they had managed to create on the Reclamation. But even with all that, the nostalgia, the imagery, the memories it brought, she could not concentrate!

It didn't take much introspection to realize why she couldn't though. She knew she'd been snappy and unreasonable with her teammates. It was only a few days ago she'd practically knocked Yang unconscious with her own jacket while she had her head buried in a toilet. Since then, she'd found her temper on a razor's edge and kept losing it at the slightest provocation, as this morning's little argument seemed to lead into. Sure, the other three hadn't helped, and their own tempers got in the way too, but Blake knew of all four of them she was the most stable, and she _still_ lost her temper. She had to do better than that, or they'd never be able to find balance with each other.

_'What balance?'_ she thought to herself. Somehow, she'd ended up in bed with Yang multiple times over the past few days, but what did it even _mean_?! Everything about this whole situation confused her. What were they now? Teammates, partners, friends…something else? Blake's feelings were not just mixed up; they were a maelstrom of swirling emotions too numerous to count anymore. For years, all she'd thought of was bringing her team back together. She thought once that was accomplished, that'd be it. They'd be team RWBY again, a family, the first real one she'd ever had. And she'd have Yang again, the woman who outshone the sun.

She was wrong. So incredibly wrong she hadn't realized it was possible to be _this_ wrong. Yang clearly still was after alcohol. Weiss was…well, whatever Weiss was, it was only a matter of time till she was a danger to others besides herself. And Ruby was a massive danger to herself, not to mention her new 'attitude' she kept taking was rubbing both Blake and Yang the wrong way. It threw Blake for a loop, this new, snarky Ruby. Snark had always been _her_ thing.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a…a beep? What in the Dust was that noise? Her ears swiveled as she tried to pinpoint it, getting frustrated as it continued its incessant pinging. Her head snapped about as she pinpointed the location, narrowing her eyes in annoyance at Ruby's pack. She growled softly to herself…she didn't want to invade Ruby's privacy, but that noise was honestly causing her sensitive Faunus ears pain.

_'I'll just do this the easy way,_ ' Blake thought to herself. Marching over to the pack, she grabbed it up and began heading for the library on the ship, planning on having Ruby shut off whatever was beeping. She felt herself flinching away from the pack as it continued to beep, the noise increasing in intensity and number of beeps, to the point it was nearly a steady ringing noise.

She didn't bother knocking on the door, as it was supposed to be open to the public anyways. Sliding it open, she saw Ruby hunched over a table, scribbling something on a piece of paper with a pencil while thumbing through a book with her free hand, glancing over at it every so often. Her hair was mussed as though she'd been tugging at it in frustration, another pencil tucked behind her ear. She didn't even look up from the book as Blake approached, seeming not to notice.

Blake cleared her throat once, but Ruby merely flipped another page, her eyes flitting back and forth across the page rapidly as she scribbled something down again. Blake craned her neck to try to see what was on the paper, but quickly realized whatever Ruby was writing, it was not any language she knew. If anything, it looked more like…schematics?

Ruby finally seemed to notice her, or rather, the beeping. She lifted her head up, cocking her head to the side as she tried to decipher the source of the noise. When she turned to look at Blake, her eyes went wide in shock and she jumped, pencil in her hand going flying into the air as she leapt backwards. Blake quickly snapped a hand out and caught the pencil, giving Ruby a raised eyebrow.

"Blake?! What the hell? Don't sneak up on me like that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Ruby exclaimed.

Blake let out an indelicate snort. "I tried to get your attention. Listen," Blake held up Ruby's pack, jiggling it slightly before them. "I didn't want to go through your things, but whatever is beeping in here is hurting my ears. Can you shut it off or something?"

Ruby blinked rapidly in confusion, grabbing the pack from Blake and rummaging through it quickly. She pulled out a pair of dark goggles, the ones Blake recalled her wearing in the Vacuo desert, and narrowed her eyes at them. Quickly tapping on the left side of them, she fit them over her face, tapping the side again. "What the…this is weird."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "What is?"

Ruby took the goggles off, scrutinizing them closely. "This is my Grimm alarm. The goggles have a sensor that ranges out for a good few kilometers and listens for the sounds of Grimm. It's telling me there is an Elder Sandworm nearby."

"Sounds like it's got a few bugs in it," Blake offered, rolling her eyes with a small smile as she realized the one thing that hadn't changed for Ruby had been her need to tinker.

"Normally I'd agree, but this is one aspect of it I'm confident in. This is so- "her words were cut off by a sudden small vibration beneath them, just enough to rattle the table and make the two stumble slightly. Ruby turned to Blake with wide eyes. "Um…I don't suppose this region is known for earthquakes?"

Blake shook her head no, her eyes as wide as Ruby's. "So…where do those goggles say the Grimm are?"

Ruby quickly put them on, both hands holding them to her head as she began turning slowly in place, triangulating where the goggles had picking up the sounds. Freezing in place, she pointed. "That way! What's that direction?"

Blake looked up at the sky as she contemplated. "Nothing really. It used to be where all the rich folk in Atlas lived, but it hasn't been reclaimed yet. Mostly wild land now."

"Rich folk…as in, Schnee rich?" Ruby asked, eyes narrowed.

"You don't think…" Blake began, before pausing at Ruby's slow nod. Blake took a moment to take a deep breath, before speaking again. "We need to find Yang."

* * *

Yang sat nervously on the couch, Pyrrha seated next to her calmly. She clasped her hands between her knees as she leaned forward, sighing heavily. Pyrrha waited patiently next to her, wanting to see where Yang went with this.

Yang took a deep breath. "I want to quit drinking," came her flat declaration.

Pyrrha blinked, once, twice, before cocking her head to the side. "Alright. So…do it?"

Yang shook her head slowly. "I wish I could. But I can't do it. Right now it's taking everything in me not to just rush to the nearest bar and demand the bigger bottle they have. After all the fighting and what happened to Ruby- "

"Wait, what happened to Ruby? I haven't seen her since you guys came back. Is she ok?" Pyrrha interrupted, her voice low and concerned.

"…she tried to kill herself," Yang whispered, eyes downcast, unable to see the expression of horror and shock crossing Pyrrha's face. "She had the knife and was just about to stab herself when we stopped her. It was already touching her skin…a second slower and I would have lost my sister for the second time…"

"Yang, I'm…I'm so- "

Yang cut Pyrrha off. "Don't. Don't say sorry. I know you're just trying to be sympathetic, but don't. That's not why I came here. I came here because I need help, and I think you're the only one who can help me."

Pyrrha snorted disbelievingly. "Yang, I…I still drink. I'm not sure how much help I can be to you."

Yang turned to Pyrrha, reaching out and grabbing her hands in her own, gripping tightly as she stared straight into Pyrrha's eyes, her voice urgent. "That's the point! You and me, we can quit _together_."

"Wait, what? You want me to quit with you?"

Yang nodded enthusiastically. " _Yes!_ No one else gets it. Ruby and Weiss, they have mental issues, and I need to help them. I need to help Blake. I want to help you too, help everyone, be the huntress I always wanted to be, but I can't do it when every time I get stressed I want to fall back into a bottle. It's so difficult to avoid, but if we're both going through it, we can support each other! And I know your team would like to see you quit too."

Yang was surprised to see Pyrrha's eyes narrow as she pulled her hands away from Yang, leaning away from her. Pyrrha's face went cold as she stood up, facing away from Yang. "I think you should go back to your team, Yang."

"What? What's wrong?" Yang asked, flabbergasted. Standing up, she reached out one hand to try to lay it on Pyrrha's shoulder, but Pyrrha flung it off and spun around, nearly snarling in Yang's face.

"What's wrong? I told you what's wrong the last time we drank together! You want to quit, fine, I'm happy for you, but I don't need to quit! I'm completely in control of my drinking!"

Yang took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly before she rose to her full height, making sure to look Pyrrha dead in the eye. "Pyrrha, I want you to stop and think about what you just said. Doesn't it come off as a little defensive to you?"

Pyrrha took another step back from Yang, the anger on her face slowly fading into nervousness. "N-no! I'm not being defensive, it's true! Come on Yang, I only do it every few weeks. I'm not in the same place you were in that town. You don't need me to quit for you to be able to do it, you're plenty strong."

Yang shook her head slowly. "I'm not as strong as I thought I was eight years ago. I haven't been for a long time. But say you're right. Say I can quit without you. Maybe I can. But where will you be? Still drinking to try to avoid remembering you're in love with a man who can barely walk on his own. Still drinking to try to forget the faces of the people who died. Still drinking to sleep…I'm not going to force you to do anything Pyrrha. But I don't want to leave you behind. Take this step with me, please."

Pyrrha paused, before opening her mouth. "I- "

A sudden slam on the front door had both women jumping as a storm of rose petals blurred into the room, spiraling to a stop to reveal a panting Ruby with a dizzy Blake in her arms, the older woman holding one hand against her head to try to stop the vertigo. Ruby took a couple deep breaths in an attempt to catch hers, not noticing how both Pyrrha and Yang were blinking rapidly, jaws dropped at the two before them.

Yang shook her head to try to clear the confusion. Her old personality bubbled through for a brief moment, enough for her to point and smirk at the two as she commented "Is there something you two want to tell us?"

Blake and Ruby looked at each other in confusion for a moment, before the wheels finished turning and they realized Ruby was holding Blake in a bridal carry. With an 'eep!' Ruby instantly dropped Blake, the older woman barely catching herself on her feet and avoiding slamming into the floor ungracefully. Blake gave Ruby a reproachful look at odds with the pink staining her cheeks, before turning back to the two other women and brushing at her clothing carefully.

"We don't have time for jokes. Yang, we need your help."

Yang waited a moment, hoping they would elaborate, but when neither woman seemed like they were going to speak, she shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, with...?"

"Weiss is in trouble!" Ruby exclaimed, holding up her goggles.

Yang blinked in confusion. "And the goggles told you this? Ruby, sis, maybe you need to lie down…"

Ruby growled in frustration as she shook the goggles in Yang's face. "No! Well, yes, they kind of did tell me, but not in a creepy talking to me way! Well, ok, I guess you can see they sort of talk to me, but not in the way you're thinking of, I still haven't found a good voice pack for them- "

Blake slammed one hand over Ruby's mouth before she could continue to ramble. "Look, her goggles pick up on Grimm sounds over a long distance. They just caught the telltale sounds of an Elder Sandworm."

"Elder Sandworms, hell, Sandworms in general don't exist up here. Sounds like your goggles are broken," Yang replied.

Blake shook her head. "They don't, but do you know anyone who can summon what she helps slay? Weiss went to the ruins of her family's estate, I can't imagine that is good for her mental health."

"And if you're wrong?" Yang asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ruby shrugged, pushing Blake's hand off her mouth. "Then we've come to visit Weiss' home with her. Not like anything bad is going to happen just cause we went to see her if my goggles are off."

Pyrrha took a step forward. "So what if she summoned something like that? Wouldn't it protect her?"

"That's assuming she's in the right frame of mind. Remember three years ago, with Nora?" Blake replied.

Pyrrha's eye twitched. "Ok…your point is made. Yeah, you should go. Let me find Ren and Nora, we'll come too."

Ruby shook her head rapidly. "Don't have time to wait. I'll just take Yang and Blake; you guys catch up. Yang, get on my back." Ruby didn't wait for Yang's movement, quickly grabbing Blake up in her arms again before turning to present her back to Yang.

"Are you sure you can carry both of us?" Yang asked, concerned.

Ruby snorted. "I'm a lot stronger than that scrawny little girl I was before, Yang. Trust me, I'll be fine."

Yang sighed, before reaching her arms around Ruby's neck to get a grip as Ruby leaned forward. "Well, this is a bit of a role reversal. I used to take you for piggy back rides all the time when you were little."

Ruby went completely still for a moment, her eyes snapping shut as she took in a deep breath. Opening them, she turned her head to give Yang a sad smile. "That was a long time ago. C'mon, let's go."

Ruby nodded her head to Pyrrha, her arms full of a still blushing Faunus, before she disappeared in a flash of red and roses.

* * *

"Ok, I admit, you were right," Yang said in an awed tone of voice as the massive white-blue Elder ripped through another grove of trees, bellowing its rage at the world.

"I didn't know she could summon more than one creature at a time," Blake commented, eyes narrowed as she searched for Weiss in the chaos. The three women stood at a distance down the road, but they had a clear view of the numerous white summoned creatures rampaging about. A King Tajitu was curled protectively around the ruins of a tower, its heads snapping at any other Grimm running past it. A Nevermore circled overhead, constantly crying out in loud screeches as it occasionally rained feathers down upon what seemed to be empty areas of the woods. A Deathstalker was skittering about the field, seemingly without purpose as it rambled on. Numerous Beowulf's and Ursa were racing about, their white forms flitting about without any form of cohesion.

Ruby shook her head slowly. "This isn't right. Weiss wouldn't let these things wander unchecked, even if she was in a bad state of mind. Weiss is a control freak. Where is she?!"

Blake pointed excitedly, grabbing Ruby's shoulder. "Look! Over there, it's her knight! She's got to be near it!"

Ruby peered towards the knight, noting how it was the only creature not currently running wild. In fact, it was the only one that seemed to be acting with purpose. Any Grimm which came near was batted away by its blade, but it wouldn't move from that spot. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed a small bundle at its feet that it was straddling. Swiftly, she grabbed her goggles and pressed them to her face, activating the zoom function.

"Weiss," Ruby's voice was a whisper as she saw the white haired women crumpled on the ground. Weiss was face down on the ground, but with the zoom Ruby could see her breaths, misting on the air. She could also see the trickle of blood dripping from Weiss' mouth, the older woman's eyes closed tightly as she curled in on herself, her body shivering.

"What? Is she ok? What's going on?" Yang asked hurriedly.

"She's down, by the knight. She's bleeding internally or something! We need to get to her!" Ruby replied in a worried voice.

"Wait, if she's down, why are the summons still here? And who the hell is controlling them?" Blake demanded.

Yang shook her head in negation. "I don't think anyone is. I've seen it a couple times. They aren't constructs, they are summons and so they have their own wills beyond Weiss'. I think they are trying to protect her…I remember that one Beowulf she summoned tried to protect her from me even after she stabbed it and lost control of it. But that many summons has probably drained her completely. Maybe they didn't dissipate because she's in danger but they don't know how to help her?"

Ruby and Blake both looked in askance at Yang, before Ruby took a deep breath. "I don't know if you're right, but I don't care. I'm going to her."

Blake grabbed Ruby's wrist before she could run off. "Remember, she feels what her summons feel. Try to avoid injuring any of them?"

Ruby nodded. "I'll just run from them."

Yang lifted an eyebrow. "What about the knight?"

"…I'll improvise," was Ruby's distracted reply. Before Yang could stop her, Ruby had vanished, a cloud of dust mingling with the petals left in her wake.

Ruby didn't bother with the Grimm, dashing past them as quickly as possible. Most of them seemed uninterested in her…that or they simply didn't notice her passage, but even with how fast she ran to Weiss' side, she knew the knight could see her. Its sword was already raised in defense, taking a step forward to protectively loom over Weiss' fallen form. Ruby skid to a stop just out of its sword range, holding up both hands to show she wasn't carrying anything. If Yang was right, this wasn't some mindless being, and maybe, just maybe, she could communicate with it somehow.

The knight stood still, in a readied position, unmoving as it seemed to stare at Ruby. Ruby gulped, before opening her mouth to speak. "H-hello?"

The knight didn't react in the slightest, still frozen in that uncanny pose. Ruby tried again. "Look, Weiss is hurt. Can I get her some help?" The knight didn't move. Ruby gulped again, before taking a step forward.

She found herself leaping into the air as the blade came swinging at her with destructive force, barely dodging it even with her speed. As she came falling back down, she noted how the knight twisted its wrist and slammed its free hand onto the hilt of the blade, reversing its momentum in a flash and bringing the sword back faster than Ruby had thought possible. Her eyes wide, she triggered her semblance and spun the wind around her, giving her just enough of a solid surface to rebound off of and allowing her to jump backwards, away from the knight.

The knight's sword continued its swing, slamming into an Ursa which had gotten too close. The bear Grimm was cleaved in half, its mouth open in shock, but all Ruby could hear was the tiny whimper Weiss gave in pain as her body curled in on itself once more. Growling to herself, she quickly returned to her previous position, seeing the knight retaking its guarded posture.

"She's hurt! And you're hurting her more! If you're so loyal to her, let me help her!" Ruby shouted at the creature, pointing at Weiss. Ruby watched as the knight tilted its head just the tiniest bit, as though examining her more closely. Ruby waved her hands at it, before pointing down at Weiss again. "Look at her! The longer you and the others remain out here, the more hurt she'll be!"

The knight looked down at Weiss for a moment. Ruby waited with bated breath as it stood frozen for a moment, before it turned its head back up to look at Ruby once more. She stared into its impassive face, waiting, the sounds of the other creatures fading into the background.

It felt like an eternity, but the knight took a step backward, pointing its sword down and allowing the tip to rest on the ground as it kneeled behind Weiss' fallen form. Ruby didn't wait, blinking to Weiss' side and carefully rolling her over onto her back, allowing Weiss' head to rest in her lap. Weiss' pale lips were stained with red, blood leaving a terrifying trail down her chin. Her breathing was halting and quick, a wheezing sound erupting from her lips as she shivered. Her skin had always been pale, but right now it was downright ghostlike, the chill from both her Semblance and her skin making Ruby shiver in turn.

Ruby tapped gently on Weiss' cheek, rubbing her arms up and down Weiss' in an attempt to try to warm them. "C'mon Weiss, wake up. You gotta dismiss them. C'mon Weiss, wake up. Wake up!" Ruby's voice grew steadily louder as she spoke, her desperation increasing as it seemed like Weiss' breathing was becoming more shallow by the second.

A shadow appeared over the two, Ruby looking up through eyes that had begun to water to see the knight looming over them. At first, she prepared to run off with Weiss in her arms, but then she noted it did not have the sword in hand. Instead, it took to its knees beside them and held one hand out over them, as though to shield them from the sun above.

Ruby nearly jolted out of her skin as a snuffling nose touched her back, before watching with wide eyes as a massive Ursa casually strolled on all fours around her, before it plopped down on the other side and nudged Weiss with one of its claws. Ruby's eyes twitched as multiple white Grimm forms began to congregate around her, their shadows completely blocking out the sun and leaving her feeling rather claustrophobic.

The rumble in the ground alerted her to the largest of them all, the Elder, slowly rising to its full height over them all. All of the Grimm seemed focused on Weiss' form in Ruby's lap. A singular Beowulf plodded forward, nuzzling Weiss' side with its nose, before its blue eyes locked with Ruby's. It gave a small whine, sniffing at Weiss' again, whining again at Ruby. Ruby felt a force push her gently forward, twisting her form about to see the claw of the Deathstalker just retreating from her. It chittered at her loudly, shuffling in place as though impatient.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," Ruby exclaimed, glancing around pleadingly. "Can't you guys dismiss yourselves or something? You're draining her Aura!" The knight shook its head side to side in response, before it pointed at Ruby, then at Weiss. Ruby stared up at it, biting her lip as she tried to decipher what it was saying.

Suddenly, all the Grimm turned unerringly in one direction, each pausing in motion. Ruby glanced back, worried, but breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Yang and Blake slowly approaching, weapons at the ready. Ruby waved one hand to try to get the knights attention, waiting until it glanced down at her.

"It's ok, they are with me. Let them through!" she said. The knight seemed to ponder what she said, before it pointed at its sword, then the ground, and then back at the approaching women. Ruby took a moment to think, before she nodded. She raised her voice and called out "Guys, put your weapons away. They won't let you near unless you do!"

Yang let out a deep breath before retracting Ember Celica, as Blake slid Gambol Shroud back into its sheathe. The Grimm summons' parted for them, the two of them rushing to Ruby's side. Yang's eyes went wide in shock, as Blake instantly dropped to her knees next to Ruby and placed her head on Weiss' chest to listen.

"Her heartbeat is erratic, we have to get her to the doctor and quickly!" Blake said with urgency.

"It won't do any good if we can't make the summons' go away," Ruby replied, cradling Weiss closer as she tried to share her body warmth with the chilled woman. "But I don't understand what it is we need to do, the summons are trying to tell me something but I don't get it!"

The knight chose that moment to point insistently at Ruby, then at Weiss. Ruby sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, I need to do something to Weiss, but _what?!_ "

The Beowulf that had previously whined at Ruby pushed up against her side, whining once more as it looked Ruby in the eyes. Staring into its eyes, Ruby saw something she hadn't before. Deep within those ice blue eyes (so reminiscent of Weiss' eyes), she didn't see rage like she had expected to see in the eyes of a Grimm. She saw…fear.

"Weiss…is afraid. She's still afraid, so the summons' aren't going away. That's it! That's the problem! We need to make her stop being afraid!" Ruby exclaimed. The knight nodded at her.

"Yeah, and how the hell do we do that when she's unconscious?" Yang demanded, glaring at the knight as though it were withholding answers from her. The knight pointed at Ruby and then back at Weiss for what felt like the thousandth time for Ruby.

"It wants you to do something for Weiss I think," Blake commented.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I get that! But we don't have time for charades, can't you feel how cold she is? She's so cold right now…"

Weiss' began to cough suddenly, her entire body jerking in Ruby's lap as blood splatters flew from her mouth. Ruby gripped her as tightly as she dared, her own heart pounding in her chest as she held on. "Weiss! Weiss, please, calm down! You're safe, it's us, we're here! Weiss!" Ruby shrieked at Weiss but to no avail, as the older woman began thrashing in her lap.

Yang grabbed her feet and held them down as Blake tried to grab onto Weiss' arms, but one flew up and smacked Ruby in the mouth, making her bite her lip on accident. As the blood began to trickle from her own mouth, suddenly Ruby's eyes widened.

Quickly, Ruby lay Weiss down on the ground, pinning her shoulders down as Blake finally managed to get ahold of her arms. "I think I get what they want me to do," Ruby said as Weiss' body finally stopped thrashing. Her breath started to come out in pants, Blake glancing up worriedly as she felt for Weiss' pulse on her wrist.

"Then do it, her pulse is dropping! She's running out of Aura completely!" came Blake's reply.

Ruby nodded, before swooping down until she was hovering just above Weiss' face. She released her grip on Weiss' now still shoulder and cupped her face carefully, her warm breath fanning over Weiss' face. She spoke, her voice a whisper. "I'm here Weiss, please, be ok."

Not waiting any longer, Ruby pressed her lips to Weiss', tasting the coppery taste of blood. She let her Aura flow out from her, the subtle red glow surrounding her form as she willed it with all her might to flow into Weiss, pushing everything else aside. She could feel her Aura mingling with Weiss' Aura, felt the comforting chill she had long ago permanently associated with her partner. She ignored the presence of Blake and Yang, ignored the surrounding summoned Grimm, ignored where they were. She only cared about bringing Weiss back. Breaking the kiss but keeping her hands cupped on Weiss' cheeks, she slowly opened her eyes as she leaned back just enough to see Weiss clearly, silently praying in her mind that that would be enough.

It was only moments later when Weiss finally stopped shivering, her body slowly relaxing. The summoned Grimm began to slowly dissipate, each one breaking up into tiny snowflakes that drifted to the ground, vanishing moments before touching it. One by one, each summon disappeared, until only the knight remained. Its sword burst into snowflakes a moment later, and each part of it began to break apart. Ruby glanced up at it as its upper torso began to disintegrate. Its head turned to look at Ruby, and with one final nod of recognition, it too vanished into the air, leaving nothing but the four women, sitting in a trampled field.

A shout from far away caught their attention, the three conscious women looking back to see Pyrrha running towards them, Ren and Nora just behind her. Ruby reached down and ever so gently lifted Weiss into her arms, flushing slightly as Weiss automatically curled towards her. Ruby looked towards Blake, panting slightly as she tried to shake off the wooziness of sharing her Aura. "Where's the doctor at?"

Blake nodded at Ruby. "I'll take you to him, let's go. She's lost a lot of Aura, and I'm pretty sure she has internal injuries."

Yang took a step forward, nodding down at Weiss' form in Ruby's arms. "You gave up a lot of your own strength pulling that stunt. Do you want me to carry her?"

Ruby shook her head no rapidly. "I got her."

Yang nodded in return. "Alright. Let's get her back then."


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30! Been super busy the past few weeks, but I finally finished this one! For those who don't know, I have a tumblr at lupos-corvidae, where I sometimes post updates on what I'm working on (although normally its just reblogging fanart :P), but you can keep up with my work there if you want. Also, for my readers who play Overwatch on the PC, you can freely friend me and anytime I'm on I'll happily group with you. Tag is Etheriell#1314...but be warned, I record all my matches just in case fun stuff happens :P
> 
> Anyways, I really hope you guys like this chapter, and anyone who can figure out the little easter egg I tossed in, you get ten points and a virtual cookie! :)

Ruby looked up as the door opened, instantly shooting to her feet as the short, dark skinned man in the white lab coat strode out from the room behind him. They had rushed Weiss to the doctor, a man Blake called Bercilak. He'd taken one seeking look at Weiss, before practically ripping her from Ruby's arms and carrying her into the back room, giving Ruby, Yang, and Blake a sharp command to 'sit down and wait!' as he disappeared into the room. Pyrrha had left to go fetch Jaune, who had called while they were running back asking where they were. Nora and Ren had left…Nora didn't handle medical facilities well, Ren had said apologetically as they vanished, Nora holding her hands over her ears with her eyes squeezed shut.

The doctor strode over to the three gathered women, casually pulling his plastic gloves off as he approached. He sighed as he stopped, one hand tossing the gloves into a trash can, the other on his hip. "Blake, I assume these two and the patient are your former teammates?"

"Current. Still a team," Blake corrected.

He nodded absently. "Fine. I'm going to begin by saying I am an asshole, and I don't mince words. So listen carefully. I've patched up hunters for years. I am the one who kept Jaune alive when he ran into that IED. I fixed Blake's broken bones seven times since she joined the project." Yang turned to stare wide-eyed at Blake as the Faunus woman flushed slightly, looking away conspicuously. He continued as though he hadn't noticed the interaction. "I'm happy to do it. Hell, in all modesty, I'm a damn good doctor and my semblance makes it that much easier to handle injuries that hunters tend to get."

"Your semblance?" Yang interrupted his statements, tearing her gaze away from Blake.

Bercilak rolled his eyes. "My semblance allows me to accurately diagnose most injuries without relying on machinery. It makes it rather easy to see what's wrong with your teammate. And that's where I have to speak up. She has _numerous_ internal injuries, namely lesions that have scarred her internal organs from a combination of lack of nutrition and using her Aura far too often. When you drain Aura, you drain your very life force, and it comes back to bite you. If she continues treating herself that way, she will be dead within the year."

Ruby gulped, her voice cracking as she spoke for the first time since they'd entered the waiting room. "B-but she's okay now, right?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, before his eyes narrowed. Ruby felt distinctly uncomfortable as his gaze roamed her head to toe with a detached, clinical view, a small shine appearing in his dark green eyes. She felt a tingling sensation as he gazed at her, as though he was mentally dissecting her where she stood, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. He broke his gaze from that seeking one before replying as he met Ruby's eyes. "Okay is not the word I would use, but she is stabilized. For now. But you, young lady, you need to be examined as well. You have far too many improperly healed injuries. And you," he pointed at Yang imperiously, making Yang rock her head back. " _You_ have severe liver damage! We need to get you on some form of medication to enhance your Aura's healing abilities before it's too late. You two, and _especially_ your teammate are killing yourselves slowly! I thought Blake was bad with her refusal to eat properly as well, but this is ludicrous!"

He threw his hands up in the air as he practically growled at them, eyes narrowed in a glare. "I'm tired of having to watch people die on the table before me. I saw more than enough of that during the Fall, and I have no desire to watch more people die far before their time. So let me make this clear…I expect to see you back in my office for proper checkups within the next few days, _all three of you_ , and then I expect to see you every month after that until you've fully recovered, is that clear?!"

"But- "Blake began, stepping forward, but Bercilak's hand swept across, cutting her statement off.

" _Is that clear, Blake Belladonna?"_ came his snapped reply, his eyes boring intensely into Blake's. Blake nodded meekly. "Good. Now, you three may visit with your teammate. She is awake, although I have her on some heavy painkillers, and I don't want her moving around for a while until her Aura has recharged. So be careful with her, understood?"

The three women nodded, slightly cowed by the shorter man as he glared up at them with arms crossed on his chest. He gazed piercingly at them for a moment, before sighing. He gestured behind him to the door he had just marched through, before walking off into another room to the left. Ruby wasted no time, disappearing in a flash of rose petals through the door that led to Weiss, as Blake and Yang followed at a much more sedate pace.

By the time Blake and Yang made it into the room, Ruby was already hugging Weiss, albeit with a very delicate grasp, as though she were afraid Weiss would shatter if she squeezed too tightly. Weiss had her arms around Ruby in return, a soft smile on her face, but Blake noted her somewhat glazed eyes. She gave Yang a significant look, the blonde woman peering closely at Weiss before she nodded back to Blake.

Ruby leaned back, a genuine smile on her face, but worry dancing in her eyes as she looked down at Weiss. Carefully leaning against the edge of the hospital bed, she narrowed her eyes at Weiss. "Weiss, what happened?"

Weiss kept up her soft smile, reaching up with one hand to gently run her fingers through Ruby's hair. Ruby's eyes went wide as Weiss made the gesture, a slight flush coming to her cheeks. Weiss giggled. "Your hair is so soft! Was it always this soft?"

Ruby was frozen in place, unsure whether to back off or not. She gulped, before replying in a quavering tone. "Umm…are you feeling ok?"

Weiss giggled again, before batting at Ruby's hair lightly. "I feel _fiiiiinnnee_. You're silly!"

Ruby turned to Blake and Yang, eyes wide in confusion. Blake mouthed 'painkillers' to Ruby, watching as Ruby's already confused expression twisted.

"Flay millers?" Ruby asked. Blake blinked at Ruby, before taking a deep breath and mouthing painkillers again. Ruby tilted her head to the left. "Say killers?"

With one eye twitching, Blake turned to Yang. "Does she not know how to read lips?"

Blake quickly realized her question was wrong, as she saw the grin spreading across Yang's face. Her eyes already wide with horror at the incoming comment, she could do nothing but wince as Yang made finger guns and pointed them at Blake. "She sure knows how to read Weiss'!"

Ruby went bright red, skin matching the tips of her hair, as Blake slammed a hand into her face. Sighing, she slowly dragged it down in silence, silence broken by Weiss' next giggle. With glazed eyes, Weiss drawled "She doesn't read them often enough! She should do that now, in fact! Ruby, here!" Weiss pointed peremptorily at the pillow beside her, her expression morphing into a comically stern one. When Ruby didn't move immediately, frozen in place by Weiss' uncharacteristic behavior, Weiss started struggling to rise out of the bed.

Blake instantly leapt to her side and planted her hands firmly on Weiss' shoulder. " _No!_ Bercilak gave strict orders you shouldn't move. You're under the influence of some very strong painkillers, you need to stay down."

Ruby slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand, a look of dawning comprehension on her face. "Right, painkillers! That's what the doc said. Why didn't you guys remind me?"

Blake's head dropped as a loud sigh escaped her, slowly leaning back from Weiss and removing her hands from Weiss' shoulder. She looked up at the ceiling with a long suffering gaze, silently asking 'why me?' before taking another deep breath and shaking her head to clear it. "Regardless, you need to _rest_. Your Aura is exhausted from what you put it through."

Weiss tilted her head to the side, the glazed look fading slightly. "What I put it through? What do you mean?"

Yang chimed in, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned over the bed menacingly, worry creasing her brow. "You went nuts and summoned a metric fuckton of those Grimm! Then passed out but they didn't go away so they kept draining your Aura until you nearly ran out! What the hell were you thinking?"

Weiss' face twisted as she tried to recall, before a flash of memory flung itself back into her, causing her eyes to open wide and a gasp to escape. " _That Ursa!_ " Weiss flung the sheets off herself, trying to toss her legs over the edge of the bed but as soon as her feet touched the floor, her legs buckled and she began to fall. Only the quick action of Ruby to catch her prevented her from falling onto the floor, all three of the others loudly protesting her actions and pulling her back onto the bed. Yang quickly grabbed the sheets and covered her again, tucking them tightly around her, almost as though she was trying to restrain her.

Weiss shook her head rapidly. " _No!_ I have to go back; I need to find that Ursa again!"

"What Ursa?" Blake demanded, eyes narrowed.

"The Ursa who stole my picture! It's the only one I have from my childhood! That stupid Grimm has it and I need it!"

"Weiss, calm down! You're not making any sense. There was no Ursa there," Ruby replied soothingly, hoping to get Weiss to stop struggling.

Weiss stopped struggling, looking up at Ruby with wide and teary eyes. "It's…gone? The Ursa is…gone?"

The other three women shared a glance that spoke volumes, before Yang spoke softly. "There was no Ursa there when we got there. Are you sure you weren't, you know…seeing things?"

Weiss shook her head rapidly. "No! I may be somewhat disturbed, but I clearly saw it with my photo! It was in the back of the field. It was not doing anything, but I saw it bend down and grab my photo. I need it! Please, I need that picture…" Weiss voice trailed off as her head dropped.

Blake stepped forward, speaking softly. "I'll go get it."

" _We'll_ go get it," Yang corrected, giving Blake a sidelong glance. She turned back to Ruby. "You keep her company; we'll go find it. Uh…what is it of?"

Weiss sniffled. "It's…of me. And Winter. When we were kids, with m-my…my mother and father. It's…it's all I have of them now. I didn't know it survived the Fall until I saw the Ursa with it, and it just…I was so _angry_ and I…I just lost it."

"Ok, that's a pretty good reason to be angry," Yang replied.

Ruby took Weiss' hand in her own, holding it softly as she rubbed her thumb across the back of Weiss' hand. "That explains why you summoned them, but not how come they stayed summoned after you passed out. I thought when you got distracted they'd go…wherever it is they go."

Weiss shook her head slowly, more of the glaze from the painkillers fading as she focused harder. "That's only if I take direct control of them. My summons aren't constructs, like my glyphs are. They have…personalities. Minds. They are part of me, but its…I don't know how to explain it. It's like part of me goes into them. If I take direct control, they get tied to my concentration, but I can just let them act as they wish."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "Why don't they act like Grimm then?"

"Because they aren't Grimm, they are summons. It's like…they have Grimm instincts to destroy, but it's not to destroy people, it's to destroy my enemies. My family never fully understood it; we just used it, but what _I_ think happens is part of my Aura goes into them and it turns them to…well to my side. That's why they stayed, to protect me from my enemies."

"Huh. So, how do they know what your 'enemies' are?" Ruby asked.

Weiss shrugged. "I'm not entirely certain. How did you get past them to get to me in the first place?"

"I just told your knight thing off, told him you were hurting and I wanted to help. It let me through. The rest of the Grimm were just running around all crazy like," came Ruby's reply.

"I…would not have expected that. How did you get them to return?"

Ruby's eyes went wide as pink spread across her cheeks, turning her head away from Weiss and coughing loudly. "Um, well, you see, uh- "

"Your summons convinced your little Princess Charming to give you a wake up kiss!" Yang cut Ruby off, a wide smile accompanying her teasing tone. Weiss' cheeks went scarlet as she suddenly found the sheet over her incredibly interesting. Blake elbowed Yang in the side and glared at her, amber eyes narrowed. Yang just shrugged. "What? I haven't been able to poke fun at my little sis for eight years! I have a lot of catching up to do!"

Blake rolled her eyes before grabbing Yang by the arm and began pulling her towards the door. "Come on, let's go get that photo for Weiss." Yang tried to escape, but Blake's grip was surprisingly strong as she nearly dragged Yang along behind her, leaving two rather red in the face women behind as the door closed behind them, muffling Yang's muttered complaints.

As the door slid shut and plunged the room into silence, Ruby took a deep breath before carefully sitting herself on the edge of the bed next to Weiss. Her face still pink, she gripped onto Weiss' hand tightly and squeezed it for a moment before releasing it. "You can't do that to me again, Weiss. You can't," her voice but a whisper shattering the silent air.

Weiss gulped, the drug induced fog fading further in her mind as lifted her head up from where her gaze had been locked on the sheet before. Meeting Ruby's worried silver gaze, she took in a deep breath. "I didn't…I didn't intend to. I was trying, very hard, to keep myself centered. But when I saw that Grimm, in _my_ home, with _my_ picture, I just…I couldn't stop myself."

Ruby turned herself so she was fully facing Weiss, one knee now laid on the bed, her other leg dangling. Taking Weiss' other hand and holding both in hers, cupping them gently, she spoke insistently. "I get that, but seeing you like that, on the ground…Weiss, I…I'm really fucked up." Weiss let out a snort at that, but Ruby narrowing her eyes at Weiss made her quiet down and let Ruby continue. "I know I am. And that you are. And this is a stupid time to do this because you're here and recovering and you've taken Dust knows what painkillers but dammit I can't stop this stupid pounding in my heart right now and my hands are sweaty and gross and…oh fuck it."

Not giving Weiss time to reply, Ruby darted down and placed her lips gently over Weiss'. Letting the kiss linger for the briefest of moments, Ruby pulled back slightly, opening her eyes to look into Weiss' ice blue ones, seeing the shock in them. Hovering just barely over Weiss' unmoving form, Ruby whispered "Is this okay?"

Weiss gulped, before reaching up with one hand to rest on Ruby's cheek softly. Her other arm reached behind Ruby's neck, threading through strands of her hair, and pulled her down. Letting her actions answer Ruby's question, Weiss closed her eyes and pressed Ruby's lips back against her own. Letting out a soft sigh as their lips touched, she felt Ruby clamber further onto the bed with her. Opening sleepy eyes as Ruby disconnected her lips again, all she could see above her was silver, brilliantly shining silver eyes hovering above her.

Ruby was straddling Weiss' waist, holding herself up with her arms planted on either side of Weiss' head, trying to make sure her weight wasn't pressing down upon Weiss too hard. Ruby gulped in a breath as she panted lightly. "Weiss, are you sure about this? I mean, you have those painkillers in- "

"Ruby?" Weiss said, interrupting Ruby midsentence.

"Yeah?"

Weiss took a firm grip on the back of Ruby's neck and whispered "Shut up." She yanked Ruby down on top of her, her body thrilling to the touch of Ruby's against hers. She ignored Ruby's startled oof as she fell, closing her eyes once more as she held the younger woman against her. She slid her tongue along Ruby's lips, nipping lightly at her bottom one enough to make Ruby open her mouth against her own.

Weiss could feel Ruby's heart pounding against her own, felt the blood roaring in her ears as both her hands found themselves tangled in Ruby's hair. She arched her back slightly as Ruby slid one arm behind her, pressing her palm flat against Weiss' back, the other gently cupped over Weiss' cheek. Weiss could barely stop herself from shaking, this was everything she'd wanted, everything she'd desired for so damned long…

"Ahem. I thought I said she needed to _rest_ , Miss Rose," came the dry voice from the door, breaking the two women apart as their eyes snapped open simultaneously.

Ruby shoved herself back up so she was hovering over Weiss once more, eyes wide as she stared, blushing, at Weiss. "Please tell me the doctor didn't just walk in on us making out."

Weiss, her blank expression very much at odds with the pink dusting her cheeks, replied without breaking her gaze from Ruby's. "The doctor just walked in on us making out."

Ruby cringed as she slowly let her gaze scan across the room, just barely creeping up enough to see Bercilak standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest with one eyebrow arched. He tapped one foot impatiently. "Hunters," he muttered as though it was a curse word. "Alright, if you two insist on having sex in my office- "

"W-what?!" Weiss screeched, her face going beet red. "W-we weren't doing anything l-like that!"

"Whatever you want to call it. Miss Rose, off the bed. Let me do another quick checkup, it may be safe for you to take Miss Schnee home. Then you two can do whatever, _as long as you're gentle!_ " Bercilak said, growling out the last part as he narrowed his eyes at the two women. Ruby quickly hopped off the bed, nervously folding her hands together in front of her as she refused to look up from the ground. Bercilak rolled his eyes as he began to gather Weiss' vitals. "Remember, Miss Rose…I expect to see you back here as well. You need to get those treated."

"But they've healed fine!" Ruby protested, ignoring the looks Weiss was giving her.

"No, you've used your Aura to force heal them. That wouldn't be a problem in most cases, the occasional use is only to be expected for those in your career and Hunter bodies are more durable than most, but you've overdone it. Don't think I can't tell _how_ you got most of those. You are malnourished, albeit it not as much as Miss Schnee here- "a significant look from him made Weiss shut her mouth before she could respond, "– and when you are injured as much as you are and force heal it with Aura, it puts a tremendous strain on your body. Not to mention those burns have already damaged your nerve endings enough. You want to still have feeling in your skin in five years, don't you?" He didn't bother looking up from his exam of Weiss, not noticing how Weiss flinched or how Ruby refused to look up from the ground.

Rolling his eyes, he continued. "I've seen burns like those before. I'm quite certain _that_ injury you could not avoid, and based on the extent of the injury, I'd assume it was desperation was it not?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "Weiss saved my life with that. It was…the fight with Cinder, I-I got her after, but it was…"

"Desperate. I've read the reports. Yes, it is quite likely that you would have died without that. But you still needed to get it properly treated afterwards and it's quite obvious you didn't. I will bet any amount of Lien you stayed for as little time as possible and then ran off to fight some more, didn't you?"

"I couldn't sit still! People were dying!" Ruby protested.

Silence reigned in the room for but a brief moment, no sounds heard but Bercilak carefully adjusting his stethoscope as he listened to Weiss' breathing for a moment. The next time he spoke, his voice was soft and quiet. "People die every day, Ruby. It is a fact of life and existence. You chose a career in hunting because you want to help people. In a way, you and I have a similar job. I've seen my fair share of death over the years. But there is one thing I have to remind myself of, and something you _need_ to learn."

"That is?"

"You can't save anyone if you're dead. And if you don't start taking care of yourself, that's exactly where you will end up…dead."

Ruby paused, before letting out a deep breath as she sighed. "Yeah. Heard that before."

Bercilak didn't reply to that, instead leaning back from his examination of Weiss. Pulling out a scroll, he opened it up and hit a few buttons before nodding. "Alright Miss Schnee. You can return with your teammate. You are not to fight for at least a week, you _will_ eat properly, and I expect to see you back in my office next week for another checkup. Avoid anything _too_ strenuous…is that clear, Miss Rose?"

Ruby flushed and looked away from Bercilak. Smirking, he turned and headed back towards the door. "I will see you two in a few days. Take care of yourselves…and each other." He slid the door shut behind him, leaving the two women in silence.

"Well Weiss? Ready to get out of her?" Ruby asked, clearing her throat as she tried to smile through her heated face.

"The sooner the better," Weiss replied, slowly climbing out of the bed. Ruby was at her side in an instant, her hands on Weiss' waist to give her more support, coaxing a small smile out of Weiss. Weiss leaned back into Ruby's arms, making the younger woman freeze with wide eyes for a moment before she relaxed, hugging Weiss gently. "You remember how you said you wanted to wait to talk?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah?"

"I think we need to talk when we get out of here."

Ruby paused for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Yeah. I think you're right. C'mon, let's go."


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for the Easter Egg...well, I don't know if anyone noticed, but with the exception of WTWE (because its a full AU), I ALWAYS follow the RWBY naming rule of every character alluding in some way to a color or something. Even better if they can allude to both a color and a historical/mythological figure. So every OC I create has some basis in such things. Well, last chapter, it was Bercilak...Bercilak being the real name of The Green Knight from Arturian legends. A minor easter egg, but fun to put in just for giggles.
> 
> Anyways, have at ye, chapter 31!

Twenty minutes of walking in perfect silence had Yang's nerves frayed. She couldn't find it within herself to take the opportunity to actually _say_ what she was thinking to Blake, even though they were about as alone as they were going to get. But she didn't know how to address any of it. How was she supposed to actually bring it up? Hell, she wasn't entirely sure what _it_ was anymore. She knew she just had to go for it.

"Blake, I- ""Yang, I- "both women spoke at the same time, before instantly shutting up when they realized what they'd done in unison. Blake flushed and looked down at her feet, as Yang shoved her hands in her pockets and hunched up her shoulders, staring straight ahead. The silence lingered for another few minutes before Yang finally gave up and muttered "Well, this is awkward."

Blake let out a quiet sigh. "Yang…what _are_ we?"

Yang snorted. "Hell if I know. I'm not sure what I am anymore, much less whatever…this thing we have is." Silence overtook them both once more for another minute, before Yang whispered "But that doesn't mean I don't like it."

"Yang…" Blake whispered, glancing up to look over at Yang. Yang had her head bowed, hands still stuck in her pockets as she trudged along, her hair falling over her face and hiding her expression. Blake gulped, before taking a deep breath and pushing forward. "I'm sorry. For…you know, my attitude lately. I keep losing my temper and I know that's wrong, and I'm sorry."

"It's not like I don't deserve it half the time," Yang replied, letting out a long, drawn out sigh. She tilted her head back and looked up at the blue sky above, squinting slightly in the afternoon sunlight.

"No! You don't deserve that! I shouldn't be so, so…resentful," Blake protested, eyes wide.

"Then why _are_ you so resentful?" Yang asked, allowing her head to fall and finally letting Blake meet her eyes.

Shocked amber stared into questioning lilac before Blake could find it in her to reply. Blake looked away in shame as she muttered "Because I don't want to be Jaune."

"…what do you mean by that?"

"Yang…I _know_ how Jaune feels about Pyrrha's drinking. He's told me time and time again how it makes him feel, how he feels abandoned when she leaves to go do that, how he feels so guilty because he thinks it's his fault she drinks to begin with, how he's scared she's replaced him with alcohol because he can't always be there for her. I know how he feels about it…and I don't want to feel like that."

Yang kept her gaze and voice steady as she replied to Blake. "And you think that's what'll happen between us?"

Blake took a deep breath, deciding she would admit something she'd been so scared to admit so long ago. "I don't know, Yang. I just…don't know. I was too late to say anything eight years ago, and I won't be that stupid again. _Yes_ , I have feelings for you. It feels like I always have, even before I met you, like you were just the single spot of sunlight in my life bringing me away from the shadows I felt smothered by. But I can't be _with_ you, not while you're…like this. I can't do it! I want to but…"

"You're scared," came Yang's whispered reply. Blake only nodded as she came to a halt, a tear trailing down her cheek as she refused to look at Yang. Yang took a step closer to Blake's side, and reaching out with one hand, gently lifted Blake's face to look at hers. Blake's ears were flat against her head as she sniffled lightly, eyes watery with unshed tears. Yang closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before opening them with a soft smile. "You're not wrong to feel that way. I get it. I was talking to Pyrrha about quitting…I want her to quit with me."

Blake's eyes went wide. "You're serious?"

Yang nodded solemnly. "Yep. I drank because I wanted to forget. Because I wanted to feel warm again. But I have you guys back now. I don't want to forget anything from now on, ever again. I don't need alcohol to feel warm anymore, not when I've got you guys."

"Even with how messed up everyone is?"

" _Especially_ with how messed up everyone is. My family needs me and I know it. I'm…I'm not sure I'm strong enough on my own, that's partly why I asked Pyrrha to quit with me."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "Partly?"

Yang shrugged. "Well…I mean, what you said about how Jaune feels, it's not far off how she does. I thought it'd do them good if she quit too."

Blake paused, before letting out a soft giggle. Seconds later, her quiet giggles had broken out into full blown laughter as she shook her head in sheer disbelief. Yang blinked in surprise at Blake's outburst, looking at her in confusion. "Err…are you okay?"

Blake managed to bring her laughter under control, wiping away the newly formed tears of laughter as she smiled widely at Yang. "Eight years later and you're still obsessed with protecting other people, even from themselves."

Yang shrugged, giving a smile back to Blake. "They are my family. I protect my family. That's how it works."

Blake gulped, before taking a step forward into Yang's personal space, looking up at her with a flush to her cheeks. "And what am I to you?"

Yang took a tiny step forward, putting herself with only a few centimeters of distance between her and Blake. Her voice but a whisper, she lifted one hand up to cup Blake's cheek softly, stroking it with her thumb. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Not obvious enough…not yet," Blake replied, a small, teasing smile crossing her face as she lifted her arms to encircle Yang's neck, tangling her fingers in the blonde woman's hair.

"So, you want something from me?" Yang asked in a taunting tone.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Yang, shut up and kiss me."

Yang's expression changed from the teasing smile to a serious one as she stared into amber eyes. "Are you sure about this? It'll change things between us."

Blake shook her head slowly, a smile on her face. "It will…for the better."

Yang felt the fire within her that had been smoldering, just barely above a spark since finding her team again, burst into a raging inferno from those words. She could feel the heat bubbling beneath her skin, the constant reminder of what she had once been like coming back in full force. With a smile, she leaned down and pressed her lips against Blake's, wrapping her free arm around Blake's waist.

Blake was not nearly as patient, her grip on Yang's neck tightening as she pressed herself up against the blonde. She felt surrounded by the once familiar warmth that had been Yang's trademark, the heat chasing away the chill in the autumn air. She felt herself melting into Yang's arms, unable to comprehend anything outside of the two of them. It felt like they were the only two people in the world, nothing but each other holding them together.

Yang slowly broke the kiss, opening her eyes to gaze into sleepy amber, an ear to ear smile across her face as she looked down at the lightly panting Blake. "So…when it comes to how you feel about me; I guess…the cats out of the bag?"

Blake slapped Yang on the shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Don't ruin the moment."

Yang quickly kissed Blake on the cheek, before taking one of Blake's hands in her own. "C'mon, let's go get that picture for our Ice Queen."

Blake smiled, squeezing Yang's hand in return. "Yeah, let's."

* * *

"Well…I'm not sure if we _can_ find it," Yang commented, hands on hips as she gazed out over the destruction left from Weiss' summoning tantrum.

Blake shrugged. "I know it's not easy, but we have to try. Weiss really wanted that."

"Yeah, I know. And she deserves to have it. I just don't know where to even start."

"Let's split up and section it off. We'll start in the back and move forward?" Blake suggested.

Yang nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. Let's do it…partner." Blake flushed and dipped her head at the way Yang said partner, avoiding Yang's teasing wink and smile. Yang's grin only grew wider. "You have no idea how adorable you are when you blush. It even reaches your ears."

Blake quickly covered her ears and scowled at Yang. "It does not!"

Yang chuckled. "It does so!"

Blake glared at Yang before giving out a hmph noise and turning on her heel, stomping away. With her back to Yang, she let slip the smile that had been threatening to take over her face, giggling silently to herself. It felt just like they were back in Beacon, having wacky misadventures and well, she supposed they'd been rather flirty back then too. But how was she supposed to know Yang meant it back then? Yang was always flirty, with everyone.

Blake sighed to herself as she made her way to the back of the compound. She was actually happy, for the first time in eight years, she was truly happy, but at the same time worried. She knew they weren't done talking about things…they had a long time to catch up on, but not only that, they hadn't truly addressed whether Yang _would_ quit or not. She wasn't trying to be selfish, but she simply could not go through what Jaune did. She couldn't. It'd rip her heart in two…like it did Jaune's. And the worst part is, she knew Pyrrha didn't realize how much it hurt Jaune, or she'd probably quit instantly. But Jaune had made her _promise_ never to tell Pyrrha what he told her. He wanted to let Pyrrha find her own way, her own reason. He didn't want to put another burden on her shoulders.

But she knew what would happen if Yang didn't quit. She knew where she'd end up. She wasn't sure _she_ was strong enough to stop Yang, to break it off, not when everything in her constantly pulled her towards Yang, like a moth to a flame. She knew their 'talk' wasn't over…they needed to sit down and figure things out. But honestly, though she knew that intellectually, her heart was still too jumpy for her to think about it. She felt so much more alive than she had in the longest time, so full of hope.

She shook her head. She had a duty to fulfill first. She told Weiss she'd find this picture, and dammit she was going to find this picture. Immediately, she began scouring the tall grass for signs that could help. Weiss had said an Ursa had it, which meant she could look for Ursa tracks…not that they'd be a perfect indicator, because she had summoned many a thing and they could have destroyed the tracks, or she could get distracted by the summoned Ursa tracks, but she had another advantage…her sense of smell.

Grimm smelled like rancid oil, a slimy substance that made anyone, human or Faunus, recoil from. Weiss' summons didn't…if she weren't a Faunus with a more sensitive sense of smell, she didn't think she could pick up on them. Weiss' summons smelled like fresh snow, even the trails they left behind had that tiny trace of the Ice Queen in them.

She only needed to find the one trail of the single Grimm Weiss mentioned, the only real one. It may look odd to anyone else to see her sniffing at the air, and around anyone else she'd probably be too embarrassed, but she knew Yang would never make fun of her for it. The one thing Yang held sacred and would never mock was her Faunus traits and she knew it.

Wait… _there!_ Blake immediately turned to her left and began prowling, wrinkling her nose as that horrible smell filled her nostrils. She wanted to gag but ignored it, focused on finding her quarry. Stronger, stronger, she was getting closer, _there!_ The footprints of a full grown Ursa, there they were. She could see by the meandering way they wandered around that the Ursa had not been in any hurry, it was merely walking around with little purpose…Grimm never did seem to know what to do without people around to attack.

Following the trail, she could pick up on the scent of the summoned Grimm too…clearly, this was where they started chasing the Ursa, and…aha! Right before her, the grass was flattened and rolled, clearly showing signs of a struggle. She began peering into the underbrush, lifting up flattened grass blades with Gambol Shroud to try and see under them. It had to be nearby, it just had to.

Blake smiled as she saw the edges of a photo buried beneath the grass. She carefully lifted them up, picking up the picture and letting out a sigh of relief when she saw it was mostly unharmed. There looked to be a tear along the left corner, but that didn't cover any of the people in the photo…a small miracle unto itself. She could see a few shards of glass nearby that she assumed belonged to the frame that had once held the picture, but no sign of the frame. Blake shrugged, figuring Weiss cared far more about the picture itself than about the frame it came in.

Carefully, she placed the picture in the small pouch she had on her belt, before lifting up her hand to get Yang's attention. "Yang?"

Yang's head popped up from beneath a large tangle of grass, her hair a mess. It was clear she'd been scouring the ground closely, but Blake could only giggle at the sight of Yang with wide eyes and twigs stuck in her golden hair. "Yeah?"

"I found it! C'mon, let's go back!"

Yang pouted. "Aww man, I wanted to find it!"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Come on you big crybaby." Yang nodded, before making her way at an angle to meet up with Blake as the two of them began to leave the field. As they met and began walking side by side again, Blake's smile slid off her face. She let her voice fall low, keeping her gaze on the ground as she spoke. "You know…we still need to talk more. We skipped over a few important things."

Yang shrugged, stretching her arms out over her head and placing her hands on the back of her head as she looked up at the sky once more. "Yeah, I know. I'm fine with that. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I don't mind…whatever we talk about, I'm just…happy. That we're all together again. I think we can fix this Blake, I really do."

Blake arched an eyebrow. "Even Weiss and your sister?"

Yang closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and releasing it. A serene smile made its way across her face as she continued walking with eyes closed for a moment. "I think those two will be just fine too."

"You're…uncharacteristically optimistic right now," Blake noted, a bit taken aback.

Yang shrugged. "Maybe I'm still coming down off the high of _finally_ getting to kiss you." Blake blushed, but before she could reply Yang continued on. "But you know, it's not just that. Just…eight years I spent thinking my sister was dead. And she's not. Sure, she's…damaged. But she knows she is and she wants help too. And I got my Blakey back, and even the Ice Queen. We're back in Atlas and its being rebuilt. JNPR is here with us, CFVY is coming up here in a few months, and SSSN are all still kicking too. My friends, my family, we're here. We lost a lot, but…I dunno. I actually feel…hopeful. For the first time in a long time, I feel hope. And as long as you're by my side, I think I can keep hoping."

Yang opened her eyes as she finished talking, letting her arms fall back to her side as she glanced over at Blake, that serene smile still plastered on her face. Slowly, she reached out her left hand to Blake, waiting patiently for Blake to reply.

Blake took a deep breath, before she smiled softly in return, and took Yang's left in her right. Gripping her hand tightly, the two of them continued walking together, heading back towards the Project…towards their family.

* * *

"Where do you wanna have this talk?" Ruby asked Weiss, walking slowly beside her and making sure to keep her attention focused on Weiss just in case she needed something.

Weiss shrugged. "Back at the barracks I suppose. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to be sure," Ruby replied.

"Miss Ruby!" a voice cried from ahead of them, before a tiny figure ran at them in blinding speed. Skidding to a stop before Ruby, Lily came to a halt with a wide smile on her face, arms behind her back.

Ruby froze. She wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to deal with this right now. She found her breath coming out in shallow pants, feeling the pressure in her chest and mind that had faded out before suddenly coming roaring back with a vengeance. No, no, she wasn't ready for this, Dust, don't make her face this, not now...

Weiss hand reached out and grabbed Ruby's, the cool touch of her skin bringing a tiny bit of sense back into the maelstrom in Ruby's mind. Ruby squeezed her hand tightly, so tight she might have worried she was hurting Weiss if she wasn't so panicked right now. Weiss didn't even flinch, merely held her hand and squeezed back, stepping closer to Ruby's side in an attempt to help her stay calm.

The lights were too much, the noise of the city around them suddenly thundering. Ruby felt nauseous, a headache coming on and beginning to pound at the inside of her skull. Even with Weiss next to her, Ruby wasn't sure if she could do this. She wasn't sure she was ready yet-

"Here!" Lily practically shouted, as she swung her arms out from behind her back, holding out…a necklace? A small piece of black string, tied carefully to a perfectly round white stone in the center of it. Ruby blinked down at Lily, confused, feeling the pain inside her slowly retreating behind the veil of confusion that had taken over now. Lily nodded happily, her smile from ear to ear. "I made this for you! So you could feel better! See, it has a white rock in the center, I love the white rocks, they bring wishes true! So I made this necklace for you with a wish you'd feel better!"

"Lily, please, slow down. Give her time to breath," came a throaty voice from behind Lily. Ruby managed to break her gaze away from Lily's just in time to see an older woman, her purple hair showing gray strands within it limping around the corner. It didn't take a genius to see the family resemblance…same hair, same eye color, same facial structure. The woman smiled at the red and white duo. "Hello. My name is Aster. I'm Lily's aunt."


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, chapter 32! I have little to say here, except reiterating how much I love all the wonderful things you all keep saying! Thank you all so, so much! Also, if anyone was curious, this chapter was entirely written to the song 'Two Hearts' by Thomas Bergersen, one of my all-time favorites.

It took only a moment for Weiss to lose her shock and begin to return Aster's greeting, but a tug on her hand as Ruby's hand slipped out of her own and the sight of Ruby falling to her knees had her cutting off whatever she had been about to say. Ruby planted both hands on the ground and bent her head down, before speaking in a throaty whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Dust, I'm sorry."

Aster tilted her head to the side in confusion as she leaned against her cane, fighting a wobble in her balance. "Sorry for what?"

Ruby gulped. "For…f-for failing to save them. Your family. Lily's…Lily's…"

"Lily's parents? My brother and sister-in-law, you mean?" Aster supplied helpfully. Ruby nodded helplessly, refusing to look up from the ground before her. Aster let out a long suffering sigh, before gesturing at Lily to step back for a moment. Haltingly, she lowered herself to her knees as well, her right leg shaking as she slowly managed to get down to the ground level. Weiss took a step forward to try to help her, but she held up one hand to stop Weiss' movement.

Kneeling in front of Ruby, Aster reached out with one hand and placed her fingers under Ruby's chin, lifting it up to look her in the eyes. Aster's blue eyes were full of compassion as she spoke softly. "Ruby, I want to tell you something. I _knew_ my brother. He was born when I was three. I didn't understand it back then, but as I grew, I knew I'd always have his back, and he would always have mine. And we did. We grew up together, had the same circle of friends, played together all our childhoods. When he was seventeen, he started dating my best friend, and I remember being at their wedding when they got married."

Aster took a moment to look over at Lily and smiled softly at her, the child cocking her head in confusion at Aster's movement. "I remember when this little rascal was born, looking down at her in her cradle, thinking how much I loved my family. And then…the Fall." Ruby's eyes were glued to Aster's form, her breath shallow pants as she was drawn into Aster's tale. "I was terrified for them. I lived on the outskirts of Atlas. You probably don't remember this, but you and your team actually saved my life. A Goliath had come thundering into the apartment complex my husband and I lived in. It was _this_ close to stampeding over me, my husband having been thrown over to the side, when it suddenly was blindsided by a blur of red."

Aster looked back at Ruby. "It was you. And then, I remember the stream of ice that shot from the figure in white," at that, Aster glanced at Weiss, seeing Weiss' eyes go wide. "freezing that monster in place. The woman of flame, grabbing it by the tusks, forcing its head to the ground with tremendous strength, as Blake, the woman in shadows blurred by, hamstringing it. And then, I saw you clearly, in the air above it. You had that massive scythe with you, and you came spiraling down, cutting through its neck like butter. You had no time to stay with us, more Grimm were rampaging, but I still remember how you four helped us to our feet, guided us back towards safety. I remember seeing JNPR down the road, keeping the path clear as you four blazed a trail to the next people in danger."

Aster looked up at the sky for a moment, her voice falling to a whisper, barely audible. "You saved my life. And I know, I _know_ , you tried your best to save my family. So please, don't apologize to me. You did your best, I know that. There is only one thing I would ask of you, Ruby. Only one thing."

Ruby gulped, before speaking in a frantic tone. "Anything. Whatever you ask, anything."

Aster took a deep breath before returning her steady gaze to Ruby's nearly frantic one, but she paused for a moment, before looking over at Lily. "Lily, be a dear and go fetch me my purse, would you? I think I left it at home."

Lily pouted. "But I haven't given her the necklace yet!"

Aster chuckled quietly. "You can give it when you get back, ok?"

Lily's pout flipped to a blinding smile. "Ok!" With that, the young child dashed off, skipping down the sidewalk.

Aster turned her gaze back to Ruby's. "I'm sorry about that, I merely didn't want her to hear this. The only thing I ask of you, Ruby…what happened that night?"

Ruby froze, her entire being feeling like it had been shot after Aster's request. She felt her shoulders shaking, felt Weiss kneeling beside her, but her entire being was focused on Aster's face. She opened her mouth before closing it helplessly, unsure how to respond, but Aster reached out and grabbed Ruby's hand carefully.

"I understand this is a lot to ask of you, so I'm not going to insist you answer. I just…I would just like to know for sure what happened that night is all. Closure, I suppose. We have an idea of what happened, but…well, the only ones who know what happened are you and Lily, and she was a little too young to remember." Aster smiled softly at Ruby, hoping to keep her calm.

Ruby gulped, her throat suddenly bone dry. She wanted to tell Aster, but she'd tried so hard for so many years to forget what happened that night. It had come back with a vengeance when she'd first met Lily, but even though she'd found a few moments respite from the voices in her head, she didn't think she was strong enough to handle reliving it again. Not now.

It was then she felt Weiss' hand on her shoulder, and finally found the strength to look away from Aster. Turning to look at Weiss, Ruby could barely breathe when it hit her with the force of a cannon. Weiss was right there. Beside her. For the first time in eight years, Ruby didn't have to face something like this alone, didn't have to face the fears and horrors in her own mind, the voices that tormented her. She wasn't alone. She had Weiss. She had her sister. She had Blake. She had Jaune, and Pyrrha, Nora and Ren. Ozpin. Even little Zwei, she still had him. She wasn't alone anymore.

Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand with her free one, biting her lip as she focused. She knew she was more than this. She was more than what was dragging her down within. She could continue to flee from everything that the voices called her out on, or she could fight. Alone, she knew she couldn't do it. But she wasn't alone. Weiss' hand may have been cool to the touch in Ruby's grasp, but her heart was warm. Weiss was there, beside her, and Ruby drew what strength she could from that knowledge. Aster deserved this…and it was time Ruby faced it.

With a deep breath, Ruby turned back to look at the patient gaze of Aster. Gulping, her voice a whisper, Ruby said "Okay. I'll tell you."

* * *

Aster's smile was gone at this point, nothing but a blank expression when Ruby finished her story. It was not a long tale, considering it occurred in only a few minutes, but Ruby kept pausing, clearly struggling to force the words out. Eventually, she reached the end, letting it end at the moment she witnessed their final moments. A deep silence stretched out between Ruby and Aster as Aster took in what Ruby had said.

Aster let out a deep sigh, before giving a rueful smile after a moment. "That's…what I thought. Sounds just like them. Dust, sounds so much like- "she choked up for a moment, tears brimming in her eyes, but she shook her head to clear them before looking back up into the tormented eyes of Ruby. Reaching out, she took Ruby's hand in both of hers and cupped it gently, bowing her head over their clasped ones. "Thank you for telling me. I want you to know, I in no way blame you for what happened. You did your best. Thank you…for the story, and for saving my niece."

"But I- "Ruby began, before Aster interrupted her.

"No. Ruby, I understand it was traumatic, but don't apologize. Please. My brother and sister made a sacrifice for their child, and all I ask of you is to respect that sacrifice. They knew what would happen. Think about it for a moment Ruby…how could they know you have super speed?" Ruby blinked in confusion, before her eyes went wide with shock. Aster continued on before Ruby could respond. "They knew the building was coming down. Any other huntress would have taken at least a few minutes to get to the evacuation area and back. They couldn't have known you had that speed, they only saw you entering the window. They knew what would happen, Ruby. They made a choice, a choice to save their daughter. It wasn't your fault."

Ruby was gasping for air as she tried to process what Aster had said. It was…true? They didn't see her moving at speed. They couldn't have known. They'd given her Lily, knowing full well what would happen when she left them. But she still should have saved them, shouldn't she? She tried, but she was too slow, but…could she have done better? Ruby shook her head to try to clear it, but the cacophony inside her wouldn't shut up. She ripped her hands away from Aster's, closing her eyes as she pressed them both over her ears, hunching over in an attempt to silence them. She bit her lip, feeling the iron taste of blood starting to fill her mouth.

Everything in her stilled when she felt Weiss' cool hands pressing onto hers, gently cupping her palms over Ruby's hands. Weiss began humming softly, a simple tuneless noise that nevertheless was rhythmic. Ruby felt her breathing begin to slow, falling into rhythm with Weiss' humming, before Weiss stopped and gently pried Ruby's hands away from her head. With teary eyes, Ruby looked up to lock eyes with Weiss' crystal-blue. Weiss waited but a moment, before opening her arms wide, leading Ruby to leap into them and hugging her tightly, squeezing her around her midsection as Weiss gently returned the embrace.

Aster sat patiently for a few minutes, allowing Ruby to slowly calm her breathing and her heartrate. When Ruby had seemingly relaxed enough in Weiss' arms, Aster smiled at her softly before speaking. "Are you okay?"

"I…I think…I'm not okay, but…I'm better than I was," came Ruby's halting reply. Any reply Aster wanted to make was cut off by a loud cry from behind them, as Lily came barreling around the corner, nearly braining Aster with her purse as she skidded to a stop beside her.

"Here you go Auntie!" Lily pronounced, a proud smile on her childish face as she handed the bag over to her aunt. Aster rolled her eyes indulgently before patting her softly on the head.

"Thank you, sweetie. Now, would you like to give that necklace to Ruby?" Lily nodded rapidly, smiling widely before she darted over to where Ruby was kneeling, Weiss with one arm over her shoulder and holding her close. She held out her arms, cupping the necklace in both hands.

"Here! I told you earlier, it's a wishing rock! Auntie told me you can make wishes on rocks like these and they'll come true! So I made one for you, that you'd be happy!"

Ruby stared at Lily's hands for a few moments, silence reining around them as Weiss stared worriedly at the frozen form of Ruby. Ruby gulped, taking in a breath. "T-thank you, Lily." She reached out with one hand to take the necklace, but Lily quickly retracted her hands before shaking her head no.

"I wanna put it on! Can I?" Lily's pleading tone made Ruby flinch, but she nodded slowly. Lily carefully walked next to Ruby and reached around her kneeling form, encircling Ruby's neck with the necklace cord, before tying it, her tongue sticking out as she concentrated. She patted Ruby's shoulder quickly. "There! All better! Do you like it, Miss Ruby?"

Ruby glanced down at the necklace, looking at the perfectly spherical white rock, before a small half-smile crept onto her face for a brief moment. "Yes. I love it."

* * *

Weiss stood in the doorway of the barracks room, staring worriedly at Ruby. Aster had thanked Ruby one last time, before ushering Lily away so Ruby could 'take a little time for herself'. Ruby had stood up shortly after Aster had left, and silently walked back to the barracks, Weiss trailing closely behind her. As soon as she'd reached the bed, she'd collapsed backwards on it, one arm tucked behind her head, the other laying over her eyes.

Ruby sighed into the silence flooding the room, before lowering the arm over her eyes to stretch out next to her. Staring straight up into the bunk above her, she spoke without looking at Weiss. "Weiss?"

"Yes?"

Ruby pat the bed next to her, still refusing to look away from the underside of the bunk above her. "C'mere, please." Weiss stepped calmly over to the bed, lowering herself to sit on the edge. Ruby's eyes flicked over to her for a moment, before returning to stare at the bunk above. "Lay with me?"

Weiss' eyes went wide for a moment, before her face fell into a carefully placid expression. Carefully, she gently lay herself down next to Ruby, Ruby's splayed out arm underneath her. She let out a surprised squeak when Ruby pulled her closer, wrapping her arm more firmly around her as Weiss found herself on her side, her head laying against Ruby's upper arm. She froze up for a moment, before her shoulders relaxed and she nuzzled her head into Ruby's shoulder, one of her arms going across Ruby's waist and gently hugging her around her abdomen.

The room was silent once more, before Ruby broke the silence. "We're really fucked up in our heads."

Weiss closed her eyes and replied softly. "Why are you saying this?"

Ruby shrugged, the movement jostling Weiss' position and making her glare half-heartedly up at Ruby. "I want to be honest with you."

Weiss contemplated that for a moment, before replying. "We're damaged emotionally."

"I still want to die. It didn't go away."

"I still hear the voices, even now. I don't know how long I can ignore them."

"…the burns still hurt. Sometimes when it gets really bad, I kind of hate you guys."

"Part of me blames you for the condition Yang and I are in."

"I blame me for the condition you and Yang are in."

"I blame myself for assuming you were dead and not going after you back then."

Ruby tilted her head, looking down on Weiss' pale face cuddled into her shoulder. "I always thought your hair was pretty."

Weiss sighed against Ruby's shoulder. "I was shocked when I saw your eyes for the first time. I'd never seen silver eyes. They are beautiful."

"I used to stare at your ass when you changed, back in the dorm," Ruby confessed, earning her a slap on her abdomen by Weiss in response.

"You had _very_ …impressive…abs, back in the day. You still do." Weiss said as she ran her fingers gently across Ruby's abdomen, making her suck in a breath.

With her breath coming slightly faster, Ruby tilted her head down so it lay against Weiss'. "I often think about how much I want to press you against the wall and- "Weiss cut Ruby off with another quick slap against her abdomen.

"Don't say such things out loud! You never know when your sister and Blake will come back!" she hissed.

Ruby chuckled. "That wasn't a no."

Weiss colored, ducking her head further into Ruby's shoulder. "Shut up."

Ruby chuckled again, before her smile slowly faded. She took in a deep breath as she returned her gaze to the bunk above her. "Weiss…I…I think it's obvious how I f-feel about you." Weiss simply made a noise of assent, tucking herself tighter against Ruby's side to hide her own flushing face. Ruby gulped before continuing. "But I don't want to…I mean, I'm still messed up, and I know you are, and I…I don't know if it's right when you're not in your right mind."

"Ruby," Weiss said in a long suffering tone. "Yes, I am damaged. I am not going to pretend different. But how I feel about you? It was from far before all of…this. Ask your sister if you don't believe me, she used to tease me mercilessly about it."

Ruby tilted herself up on her side, gazing down at Weiss. "If you knew that long ago, why didn't you _say_ something?!"

Weiss rolled over on her back and gave a half-hearted glare at Ruby. "Oh yes, me, the Ice Queen, telling you, the bubbly crazy leader, that I was in love with you? Oh sure, _that'd_ go over well!"

Ruby blinked. "You…love me?"

Weiss colored, eyes going wide as she realized what she'd let slip. Her mouth opened and shut helplessly for a moment, before she gave up and rolled over so she was face down in the bed. She mumbled something into the bedding underneath her, making Ruby grab her shoulder and gently roll her back over. Weiss covered her face with both hands, blushing furiously, but Ruby gently pried them off of her. Pinning her hands to the bed softly, Ruby whispered. "Weiss, please…did you mean it?"

Weiss took a deep breath, before nodding helplessly as she looked away from Ruby. Ruby cupped Weiss' cheeks in her hands and leaned down, giving her a soft kiss for but a moment. Breaking apart slowly, Ruby whispered, her breath hot against Weiss' lips "I love you too."

Weiss blinked back tears, before a wide smile crossed her face. She slid her hands out from under Ruby's, twining them behind Ruby's neck, pulling her down on top of her to kiss her again. Ruby smiled against her lips, letting out a surprised eep as Weiss rolled her over, intending on taking the dominant position…but not paying attention to how close to the edge they were.

With a startled cry, the two women fell off the bed, landing on the floor in a tangle, Weiss sprawled across Ruby. With shocked expressions, the two of them stared at each for a moment, before Ruby began to giggle. Her giggle infectious, Weiss followed suit, and before the two of them knew it, they were laughing uproariously, a simple moment of levity and warmth that filled them both with a moment of happiness. For just a moment, everything wrong faded into the background, and they were simply two women in love.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 33! And hey, something a lot of people have wanted happen this chapter, plus I hope something that throws you all a little bit! xD Hope you enjoy!

That was the scene Yang and Blake walked into, two women on the floor laughing without a care in the world. Ruby was flung out flat on her back, arms above her head with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard, while Weiss had her head face down in Ruby's abdomen, snickering into her shirt as she gripped on it tightly. Yang blinked, looking over at an equally confused Blake, before turning back to stare at the two on the ground.

"Err…are you two ok?"

Weiss lifted her head up enough to see the two of them in the door as Ruby opened her eyes, their giggles trailing off for a moment as they glimpsed them in the doorframe. But the looks of confusion on their faces was too much, and the two women fell back into uncontrollable laughter in response.

Blake arched an eyebrow at the two, before shrugging at Yang. "Is it a good joke?"

Ruby wiped at her eyes, panting for breath for a moment as her laughter faded back. She let out a long, satisfied sigh. "It's nothing. I'm just…happy. I finally got her. Thirteen years later and she's mine."

Weiss lifted her head up and gave Ruby a glare. "Hey, I'm not yours! I belong to me, thank you very much!"

Ruby glanced down at Weiss, and for the first time in years, she pouted. Weiss' eye twitched as Ruby's eyes began grow wide, her lips quivered, a frown crossed her face. "You…you're not?"

Weiss' eye twitched, before she dropped her head back down onto Ruby's abdomen. Reaching around her waist and hugging her, she muttered into her stomach "That's not fair. You are not playing fair, you, you…dolt!"

Yang blinked rapidly for a moment, before raising her hand. "I think I'm missing something here."

Ruby let out a deep, satisfied sigh as she stared straight up at the ceiling with a half-smile on her face. "Me and Weiss- "

"Weiss and I," Weiss corrected, her voice muffled by Ruby's shirt. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Weiss and I are together. Together together. That sort of thing."

Blake's jaw dropped as the meaning of Ruby's words hit her, before a slow smile spread across her face. "Well, it certainly took you two long enough."

" _Wait!_ Wait, wait a minute. You mean, you two are like, dating?" Yang interrupted.

Ruby shrugged. "Well, we didn't talk about terminology. Weiss, are we dating?" Weiss left her head buried in Ruby's abdomen, relaxing against it with closed eyes and a sleep expression. She lifted one hand up and made a thumbs up gesture. Ruby pointed at Weiss' raised hand. "That answer it?"

"Oh…alrighty then. Finally!" Yang threw her hands up in the air.

Weiss rolled her head over so it was laying on its side, giving Yang an arch look. "Oh? 'Finally' for us? What about you and Blake? Don't think I've forgotten all the conversations we had back when we went shopping about you and Blake."

Blake lifted an eyebrow as she turned to Yang. "Oh?"

Yang flushed, pink dusting her cheeks. "Weisssssss! Shush! Besides, we're…we are…we…"

Blake took pity on Yang and placed her hand on Yang's shoulder, gently squeezing it. "What she's trying to say is we still have some things to work out, but we're in the same situation as you now."

Ruby lifted her head off the floor, eyes wide. "Wait, you are?" With a loud squeal, she began clapping her hands together, not unlike a seal. "Yes! Oh it took you two so long!"

"Coming from you, that's rich," Blake deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared down at the red-head sprawled out on the floor. Ruby shrugged and gave an impish grin.

Yang looked down at Ruby, her smile morphing into a warm one as she let out a soft chuckle. Ruby cocked her head to the side. "What's with the laugh?"

"Just…happy to see you happy," Yang replied with a shrug.

Ruby's smile fell slightly, but then she looked down at the white haired woman cuddled up to her stomach and her smile came back full force. "Maybe it won't last forever, but it's here now."

"Well, speaking of what we need to work out…" Yang trailed off as Blake glanced over at her. Yang gulped, before turning to look at Weiss. "Weiss, could you stand up or something?"

Weiss rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Ugh, fine." Clambering to her feet, she glared over at Yang, clearly grumpy from being moved from her position. "What do you want?"

Yang bit her lip for a moment, one hand in her pocket, before she pulled out the flask. Running her thumb over the engraved emblem on it, she held it out brusquely to Weiss. Weiss blinked at it, confused, as Yang's arm shook for a moment. Ruby's smile disappeared as she caught sight of the flask, before she leapt to her feet in a flurry of petals, standing over Weiss' shoulder and looking down at the flask with shallow breaths.

"Yang? Is that…"

Yang nodded helplessly. "Yes. Blake…she gave it to me when I came back the first time. I guess they found some things from…Vale."

Ruby turned her eyes towards Blake. Blake nodded solemnly. "We have a few things we found. Ozpin has Glynda's weapon. He keeps it with him. And we found…Qrow's scythe too. Well, what was left of it. And…your father's wallet. Mostly undamaged. There were a few pictures in there we thought you might want, but we just wanted to wait until you settled in. I'm sorry for not mentioning it earlier."

Ruby shook her head at Blake's comment. Gulping, she spoke in a whisper "No, it's…it's ok. I'm not sure I can…right now. Thank you for telling me."

Yang's facial expression contorted, her arm shaking more dramatically, before she thrust it towards Weiss again. "Weiss, please…take it."

Weiss stared down at it, glancing back up to see Ruby's gaze fixated on it. "But…why?"

"Blake is holding Ruby's knife, because Ruby trusts her with it. I want you to hold this for me. I trust you with it. I don't want to lose it, but when it's with me its…temptation. So, will you hold onto this for me?"

Weiss jaw dropped at Yang's request, before she shook her head rapidly. "O-of course! If you're sure that's what you want." Yang nodded. Weiss chewed on her lip slightly, before reaching out with careful hands to take the flask. Yang held onto it for a split second, her arm shaking, before she released it with a deep breath. Weiss brought it close to her chest, hugging it slightly, before turning to place it in her pack.

Yang stumbled back a step and sat down on her bed, taking in deep breaths. A hand softly stroked her hair, and she glanced up to see Blake's amber eyes looking down at hers, an expression of pride and gratitude on her face as she sat down next to Yang. Blake took Yang's hand and whispered "Thank you."

Yang smiled slightly, before she turned back to look over at the still somewhat shell-shocked Ruby. "Hey, Rubes?"

Ruby jolted, before turning to look at Yang. "Yeah?"

"I um…I also have…I have your old cloak. If you want it back," Yang managed to choke out.

Ruby froze for a moment, but after taking a deep breath she managed to look over at Yang. "I…I can't. Not now. But thank you, for keeping it."

Yang smiled softly at Ruby. "Always, sis."

The room was quiet for a few moments, before Yang spoke again. "Well, that sure turned the mood."

Ruby shook her head as though to clear it. "No. You know what, I'm not letting this hurt me right now. I'm happy. I have Weiss, I have you guys…I refuse. Let's have one night where we aren't in hell. Just us."

"You know, Ruby…that sounds pretty good right now," Blake replied, smiling softly as she hugged Yang's arm.

"I like it. Besides, like Ozpin said, our relationships hinge on- "

" _Wait!_ " Ruby shouted, cutting Yang off and making all three women glance at her in confusion. A look of dawning comprehension spread across her face as she breathed out "Hinge!"

Weiss looked at Ruby worriedly. "Ruby? Are you- "

Ruby grabbed Weiss tightly around the shoulders, excitement sparkling in her eyes as a wide smile shot across it. " _Hinges!_ Of course it's hinges, why didn't I think of that? I'm such a dolt! Hinges!"

"Ruby, did you just call yourself a dolt?" Yang asked incredulously.

Ruby let go of Weiss to wave both hands rapidly in front of her face, dismissing Yang. "It doesn't matter, I figured it out! I need to find Jaune! Where is he at this time of day?"

"Well, I think by now he'd be back at the house- "Blake began, before Ruby perked up and cut her off.

"Perfect!" Ruby didn't wait for a response, dashing out of the room in a flurry of petals, her smooth shoes slipping on the waxed floor and sending her careening unsteadily down the hallway. The other three women stared, open-mouthed, at the door. Not entirely certain of what happened, Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but Ruby burst back into the room, arms full of rolled up papers. Glancing around frantically, her eyes alit on her pack. She darted over and snatched it up, before disappearing back out the door, rose petals still trailing behind her.

Blake coughed. "I…think we should follow her before she gets into trouble." Yang and Weiss nodded in agreement.

* * *

To say Ren was not expecting a panting, paper carrying, flushed Ruby at the door when he answered it would not be inaccurate. She flashed him a quick grin, before taking a deep breath to steady her own. "Hey Ren! Is Jaune here?"

"He's in the living room. It's good to see you again, Ruby," came Ren's soft reply.

Ruby's manic expression faded slightly as she smiled back. "Good to see you too Ren, but I gotta do this before I lose the idea. Can I come in?"

"Of course," Ren replied, before stepping aside with a small bow. His hair went flying when Ruby darted past, leaving him waving rose petals out of his face. He rolled his eyes indulgently, before calmly following Ruby into the living room just in time to see her drop the papers she was holding and point imperiously at the now confused Jaune.

"Jaune!"

He blinked at Ruby, shifting his gaze between Ren who had just entered the room, and Pyrrha, who was seated next to him on the couch with a similar expression of confusion. "Um…hi Ruby?"

"Take off your clothes!"

The room was dead silent for a moment, as Ren, Pyrrha, and Jaune all stared at the slightly manic Ruby with wide eyes. Jaune began sputtering, breaking the silence. Pyrrha leapt to her feet, sliding protectively in front of Jaune as she stared at Ruby.

"What in Remnant's name are you asking, Ruby?" Pyrrha demanded, fists clenched.

Ruby didn't seem to notice Pyrrha's aggressive stance, quickly ripping her pack open and digging inside it. With her face half buried in it, she started muttering under her breath. "Where is it, where is it… _aha!_ " Pulling out a small case, she flipped it open and began perusing it, carefully stared at it before grabbing a small screwdriver out of it. Dropping the case back into her back, she gripped the screwdriver with one hand and looked up, rocking back as she noticed the somewhat murderous look on Pyrrha's face.

"Woah, what's wrong Pyrrha?" Ruby asked, genuine confusion in her voice.

" _Why_ in the world would you want Jaune to be naked?!" Pyrrha growled.

Ruby blinked rapidly. "I don't want him naked, but I need to have access to his leg and his arm to fix them, duh!"

Pyrrha's stance instantly relaxed, her gaze morphing to a confused one as dawning comprehension began to flit across Ren's face. Jaune's eyes were wide as he gazed up at Ruby, jaw gaping. Pyrrha took a step forward, cautious hope in her voice. "Y-you think you can fix him?"

"Of course! See, here is the schematics for the mecha-shift in his arm! Look at diagram 7-C, it's a perfect duplicate of the arm he has! You see, it uses the same mecha-shift principles as weapons do, but they need separate calibration and I think that's the problem! If I can just get in there and recalibrate them, I think we can fix them!" Ruby dropped the page she had been holding up, and gestured at Jaune again. "So I need the shirt and pants off. I've seen you in shorts before at the beach, it's no different."

Jaune slowly clambered to his feet, his eyes locked on Ruby's. "Ruby…do you really think you can?"

The quiet desperation in his voice, the sheer solemnity of it, the look of cautious hope in Pyrrha's had Ruby pausing, her manic energy leaving her as she took in the gravity of the situation before her. She couldn't begin to imagine what this meant to Jaune, and she needed to take it as seriously as he did. Taking a deep breath, she nodded slowly. " _Yes_. I do. I know I can. Do you trust me?"

Jaune stepped forward heavily and nodded. "I do."

"Then take off your clothes and lay down."

"Err…did we come at a bad time?" Yang's voice came from behind, making Ruby spin around and flush red at the looks of confusion on Blake and Yang's face, Nora's wide eyed grin as she came around the corner, and the eye twitching of Weiss' glare.

Ruby frantically waved her hands. "No not like that! I'm going to fix his prosthetics! I need to see the hinges to open the calibration panel, they are under the parts covered by his shirt and pants!"

Weiss' glare softened as Blake comprehension finally seemed to settle across everyone in the room, save Nora who simply looked disappointed, clearly having expected something juicier.

Jaune looked around at the full room, before flushing, his cheeks going pink. Pyrrha took a moment to look at him before it clicked, and she turned back to everyone else. "Ok, if Ruby is going to do this, everyone out!"

Nora sighed and rolled her eyes, before turning about and stomping into the kitchen. "Yes mom!" her voice called back, making Yang giggle. Blake gave an indulgent smile, before following Nora, gesturing for the rest to follow her, leaving only Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha in the living room. Jaune took a deep breath, before reaching down and gripping the edge of his shirt.

* * *

Three hours had passed, and those waiting were understandably concerned. At first, they'd simply sat in the kitchen, allowing Weiss and Yang to try to catch up more with Ren and Nora. About a half hour in, Pyrrha had come into the kitchen and explained she felt she was more in the way than not, so she'd chosen to get out of Ruby's way. Apparently, Ruby was spending most of her time tweaking the most delicate settings imaginable, constantly stopping to run another test with Jaune. Pyrrha hadn't been able to help at all, her mind boggled by the switches and wires Ruby was toying with, so she'd left. She was holding it together well, but it was obvious to the others she was concerned with the way she kept glancing towards the living room and biting her lip. Yang had slid into the seat next to her and squeezed her hand, giving her encouragement. Pyrrha had smiled back at Yang, squeezing it back, before releasing her put her head in her hands.

But after three hours, a sudden noise had all five gathered looking up, to see Ruby in the doorway. Her sleeves were rolled up, while her goggles were pushed up into her hair. A rapidly darkening bruise was on her face, the dark purple mark stretching as she stared at those gathered with a solemn expression. Pyrrha slowly climbed to her feet, the others following, without Ruby's expression shifting in the slightest.

A tiny movement in the dark hallway behind Ruby had her grin spreading across her face slowly, as Jaune stepped into the light next to her. His pants were back on, but he had put on a tank top, revealing the fully metal arm in place of his missing one. Slowly, he lifted it up in the air, clenching his fist and unclenching it over and over as he looked at it with wonder in his eyes. He took a step into the room, perfectly balanced, nary a single spark or screech of metal to be heard. He looked down at his leg, before tears began to fall from his eyes.

A single sob escaped him, before a sudden force impacted his chest, Pyrrha slamming into him with and wrapping her arms around his stomach fiercely. Instinctively, he returned the embrace, not even realizing at first he'd done it. When it hit him, that he'd kept his balance, that his grip from his metal arm was _exactly_ what he had willed it to be, a choked laugh spilled out of him as he leaned down to hold Pyrrha closer.

Ruby carefully brushed her hands off, running one hand through her hair as she let out a deep breath. A loud 'oof' escaped her as the previous stranglehold Pyrrha had on Jaune was transferred to her, the older woman sobbing out thank you as she gripped Ruby in the sort of grip Yang was known for. Ruby didn't bother trying to pry her off, well aware how this went. Instead, she returned the embrace softly, smiling as she watched the others gather around Jaune. Nora gave him a high five, jumping for joy when he was able to return it with his right arm, as Ren complimented his dexterity. Yang quickly threw a spoon at him, Jaune grinning widely as he caught it without effort. His expression was giddy, almost childlike as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes.

Jaune turned to Ruby and wrapped his arms around the bundled red-heads. "Thank you, Ruby. Thank you so much."

Pyrrha sobbed out a sound of agreement, her shoulders shaking as she slowly released Ruby. Ruby pat her on the shoulder before giving Jaune a proper hug. "You're welcome, Vomit Boy."

Jaune let out a bark of laughter. "I don't give a damn if you call me that until the day I die. You gave me back my life."

"Yang?" Pyrrha said, sniffling as she turned to the blonde in the back.

"Yeah?"

"You said…you said you wanted to quit? Together? Do…do you still want to?" Pyrrha asked nervously.

Jaune looked at Pyrrha with wide eyes, before his gaze began flitting back and forth between Yang and Pyrrha, waiting for Yang's reply. Yang nodded slowly. "Yup. I gave my flask to Weiss. I'm serious about it."

Pyrrha smiled up at Yang through teary eyes, before turning to look at Jaune. She glanced between Jaune and Yang once more, finally settling on Yang. "Okay. Let's do it."

* * *

Ruby casually walked along, a smile on her face at having done something she'd intended to do since she'd arrived. Jaune's reaction was more than she could have imagined…she had no idea how he felt about them previously, but Blake had made it clear as they were returning to the barracks that Ruby may very well have made Jaune happier than any moment in his life. Seeing Jaune standing and talking without effort, able to hold Pyrrha's hand safely…Blake had been grinning from ear to ear at the sight.

They had taken their leave shortly after, as the night was getting late, and they wanted Jaune and Pyrrha to have some time to come to terms with this new development. But they had all agreed to gather together again the next morning, after a good night's sleep. Ren had promised to cook them pancakes.

As they returned to the Reclamation, the sight of Ozpin standing by the door had them all halting. He looked at them, taking a sip from his mug, before inclining his head. "Ah, you've returned. I was waiting for you."

Ruby glanced at the other three, all of them shrugging. Ozpin gave a rueful half smile. "Well, let me be honest, I was waiting for you in particular, Miss Rose. I was wondering if we might have a word."

Ruby gulped, trying to stuff the schematics she'd been carrying behind her back. Ozpin chuckled. "Oh not about that, don't worry. Although if I may ask, why did you need those?"

Yang stepped forward and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, smiling proudly. "She fixed Jaune! He can walk and everything now!"

Ozpin arched an eyebrow. "Truly? That's wonderful news! I had hoped you might be able to help where I could not…my knowledge of mechanical engineering is woefully inadequate. Well, thank you for helping him, Ruby." Ruby flushed and looked away, still over complimented by team JNPR and her own team, Ozpin being one step too much for her to handle. Ozpin smiled at Ruby once more, before gesturing to the door before him. "Well, may we speak, Ruby?"

"Y-yeah, sure," Ruby stammered out. Weiss gave her hand a squeeze as she walked past, Yang winking at her while Blake smiled softly, the three women heading back to the barracks. Ruby followed Ozpin as he walked in the opposite direction, his ever-present mug leaving the air with a soft scent Ruby could not quite place.

"The reason I wished to speak with you is, well, multi-faceted if I am honest. I would like to ask for your help with something. But before I do that, I want to introduce you to someone."

Ruby cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Who?"

Ozpin continued almost as though he hadn't heard her, still walking down the dimly lit corridor. "You see, when we found this ship, something…strange…happened. Ren believes I managed to crack the code to find the files Winter had left, but I did not, in fact, crack any code. As soon as I attempted to take control of the ship, why, the files were right there before me. I didn't even have to look for them. At the time, this struck me as suspicious, as I could not imagine Winter, much less James, leaving such files in the open like that. But I let it go, assuming that perhaps they had been too busy to encrypt them or hide them."

He paused before a door, hovering his hand over a keypad but not quite touching it. With his back to Ruby, he continued his calm speech. "However, this ship was never designed to be piloted by one person…yet it can be. Instrumentation is always precise and exactly where you need it. The ship never seems to have problems, most things that come up are fixed the very next day…yet I send no one to help. Even the time Ren fell asleep at the helm…many believe I righted the ship, but I did nothing. The ship righted itself."

"So…what is it?" Ruby asked.

"Not a what, Miss Rose. A who. I've had a suspicion for a long time, but I never could confirm it. I had long ago reasoned that whoever is behind this had only the best of intentions for the project…if not, they could easily have destroyed what was left of the populace with the weaponry on the Reclamation. No, whoever is doing this is someone who wants us to succeed. And perhaps, someone who found a way to come back from…somewhere else. I could think of only one person who could do this." Ozpin punched in a series of numbers on the keypad, the door opening before him to reveal the wide open space of the command deck.

Ruby gazed around in awe, having never seen the command deck of an Atlesian Dreadnaught up close. All of the panels were shut down, only dim emergency lighting currently revealing the room, dowsing it in a red glow. She walked into the room, spinning in place to get a better view as she tried to take in all the monitors around her.

Ozpin carefully set his mug down and stood in the center of the room. Glancing around, he took in a deep breath before speaking. "I do know you are in here. Come out, I think it's time we had a talk. I brought someone with me this time…Ruby Rose."

Without warning, the monitors instantly lit up, the entire room lighting up in a flurry of activity. Every emergency light flickered off as the main overhead lights came on, illuminating the entire room. Within moments, the command deck was a flurry of activity, but it ended almost as abruptly as it started, only the central point before Ozpin still lit up. Ruby came to stand next to him, staring down at the holographic display where the tiny blue lights flickered in random patterns.

When Ruby stopped next to Ozpin, the lights burst apart, spiraling together above the display to begin forming a shape. Seconds later, a form was seen in the hologram, just a singular face Ruby hadn't seen in eight years. Ruby stared with wide eyes at the figure before her, mouth opening and closing helplessly in shock. She couldn't speak, but the apparition before her had no such compunctions.

"Hello, Friend Ruby."


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 34, eh? Eh eh? And here my brain thought I was done with angst, but NEVAH! I SHALL NEVAH SURRENDER THE ANGST! *cough, cough* Anyways, on another note, I'm considering starting up a Pathfinder/DnD campaign using Roll20 to play online with followers. Two have already expressed interest, so if you might be interested in playing with me as a DM, feel free to send a message to me on Tumblr at lupos-corvidae, or here. You would need to have your own mic, and be able to play on a weekday afternoon between say, 6-9pm EST (GMT-5), but if you're new thats fine. Anyways, hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

"P-Penny?" Ruby stuttered out. The holographic image before her nodded, before it disappeared and reappeared as a full figure, being projected next to her. Ruby reached out a tentative hand, but it touched nothing but light, displacing the beams that were forming Penny's figure. As her hand dropped to her side, Penny's projection took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, I know this must be quite a shock," the Penny figure said.

Ruby goggled. "Shock? _Shock!?_ I saw you…the Drake, and you…you were…"

"My body was destroyed during the fight, yes. That is accurate."

Ruby took a step backward, planting her hands over her ears and closing her eyes tightly. Her shoulders shook as she tried to take it in, but her head was pounding. It was too much, too much for her to handle at once. She remembered the day she'd lost Penny, the day she'd lost one of her best friends, she remembered that moment with perfect clarity. Her mind took her on a trip…dragged back, eight years, to one of the darkest nights of the Fall of Vale.

* * *

_Ruby shouted in pain as she slammed into the ground, feeling her ribs cracking. Raising one hand to her face, she felt the warm blood flowing from the cut the Drake's claw had ripped into her, making her eyes tear up from the pain. She clenched her teeth and staggered to her feet, wiping smoke and blood away from her eyes so she could see. The Drake was flying overhead again, screaming in rage as it swept past, the downdraft from its wings nearly sending her flat again._

_She could see Weiss a distance away, her dress a tattered, dark remnant of what it was before, desperately trying to hold off the Grimm trying to reach the plaza the others were fighting the Drake in. Yang was beside her, flames erupting with every punch, but even from this distance Ruby could see the sparks, the tiniest flickers of the fire in her hair as her energy was being drained. Blake was being pulled away by Fox, Blake's broken leg preventing her from fighting anymore._

_Ruby ducked as Pyrrha's spear went flying past, impaling a Beowulf trying to sneak up behind her. With a grateful nod to Pyrrha, she stumbled forward, hissing in pain at the pressure on her ribs. She managed to stagger to the corner of a building, leaning against it for support as she tried to get a moment to breathe, grateful for whatever she could get, even if it was nothing but smoke and dust left in the air._

_She clenched her fist at her side as the Drake flew past again, its roar reverberating in her bones. Every hunter nearby had to duck into an alley, or beneath a crumbling building, in the hopes of avoiding the blast from its wings, but it still almost seemed to seek them out even in shelter. Four hunter teams…RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, CFVY, as well as Penny, were facing down the Drake, and still hadn't been able to bring it down. It regenerated at an insane rate, and the Grimm that it called to its side made it that much more difficult to face. Not to mention not even Yang could take a full powered hit from it._

_"Ruby!" Ruby opened her eyes to see Penny by her side, her eyes wide and worried as she took in Ruby's half bent over form._

_Ruby tried to gulp in air, a mistake she quickly realized at her lungs rejected the sudden influx of smoke. She began coughing painfully, her chest heaving. Penny tried to help calm her, pressing her hand on Ruby's back, but that merely set the pain in her ribs off again, making her yelp in pain. Penny's eyes narrowed as she looked at Ruby, her irises narrowing in as she began a quick scan._

_"Ruby, you have five broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis. You cannot continue to fight. You must join Blake, Scarlet, Fox, and Ren. You need to retreat."_

_"I can't! We don't have time! The civilian transports can't leave while that things still in the air! Penny, I- "_

_Ruby's response was cut off by a scream of pain. Spinning about, the two young women watched as Coco went flying, blood pouring from a massive slash across her front. Velvet screamed Coco's name, scrambling to reach her, but the Drake chose that moment to land. As its claws slammed into the ground, the earth shook, throwing everyone nearby off balance. The Drake's tail swung about, ramming into the chest of Sage, throwing him back into Sun and Yatsuhashi, sending them careening through a crumbling wall behind them._

_The Drake began to stalk forward towards Coco's still form, but was blindsided by a raging Nora, her hammer smashing into its right cheekbone. They could hear the bone cracking, but within seconds they could see the bone shifting back into place beneath its skin, it turning its burning eyes towards the creature that dared to strike it. It snapped at her, but Pyrrha slashed it across the face to knock it away. Spinning about faster than she anticipated, it's left claw came swinging in at Pyrrha's blind side._

_Ruby gasped, and ignoring the pain in her side, blurred forward in a rush. She shoved past Penny, moving as fast as she could. She had to do something! Bringing Crescent Rose up, she tried to guard, but her rib's prevented her from lifting her arms fully. The Drake's claw hit her and swept her along, ramming her into Pyrrha and sending the two of them tumbling along the ground, leaving divots in their wake as they crashed into the remaining pieces of a truck. Pyrrha's head slammed into the tire, her eyes rolling in the back of her head in pain as Ruby tried to scream in pain, but found herself unable to breathe enough to speak._

_Ruby had one eye open, desperately trying to struggle to her feet as the Drake began to slowly stalk towards them, but couldn't find the energy to move. Her body would not move a single muscle, every part of her screaming in agony as her voice failed to express a word. She could hear Pyrrha struggling behind her, but it was obvious she was in no better condition to move than Ruby was. The Drake licked its lips as it crept along the ground towards them. Ruby could feel the tears welling up as she realized this was it, that this was how she would die. Another failure on her part._

_Her eyes snapped back up as the Drake screamed in agony, a massive piece of rubble smashing into its side and knocking it over. A foot stomped down in front of Ruby, causing her to lift her head, her neck screaming in agony every second, seeing…Penny._

_Penny glared at the Drake, her blades rotating slowly behind her as she stared it down. She hadn't escaped uninjured, the faux skin on her left leg ripped clean off, leaving sparking metal in its place. A hole was in her abdomen, wires dangling out from her, the tiniest flicks of light showing power still running through them. Her fists clenched, Penny growled. "Stay away from my friends!"_

_The Drake snarled in return as it woozily clambered back to its feet, shaking its head to clear it. In the precious few moments as it tried to recollect itself, Penny turned back to look down at Ruby. She gave a smile, a tight, determined one as she looked down at Ruby's crumpled form. Bending down with great effort, she placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you, Ruby, for everything you've done for me."_

_Ruby struggled, her hand scrabbling helplessly on the dirt below her, barely managing to croak out "Penny, what…what are you going to do?"_

_Penny's smile widened nearly imperceptibly, but a sadness was present in her eyes. "I'm going to protect my friends. Goodbye, Ruby."_

_Ruby had no time to react, as Penny threw herself forward, her swords spinning about her in a flurry. Ruby watched, horrified, as the Drake threw its claw forward in a massive sweep, Penny just barely dodging it by leaping into the air as high as she could possibly go. All of her blades came screaming down from above, ripping into the Drake's back, making it screech in agony as she pulled herself down along the strings. Slamming into its back with force, Penny crossed her hands over her chest, closing her eyes._

_Ruby didn't understand. A green glow was surrounding Penny's chest, reminiscent of the glow of her laser she fired, but with her swords stuck in the Drake's back, she couldn't charge it. Not that it would do anything, the Drake had previously brushed the blast off. Then it clicked. Everything fell into place in Ruby's mind, her eye's going wide as she realized. Penny's laser was powered by her core, by the part of her that gave her entire form life…where Penny's soul had been forged. But a Dust powered core could be…overloaded._

_Ruby desperately tried to struggle to her feet, her legs refusing to move as she gripped onto the ground, clawing at it as she tried to pull herself along. She wanted to scream for Penny to stop, to shake some sense into her, to do anything to stop her, but she couldn't even whisper anymore. The smoke was too dense, the heat too intense, the pain too strong for her to even begin to fight again. The green glow had surrounded Penny's entire body, the Drake sensing something amiss as it began thrashing wildly, trying to dislodge the woman clinging to its back._

_Penny opened her eyes, green meeting Ruby's silver for one final time. Even from this distance, with the glow nearly blinding, Ruby could see Penny mouth the words 'I'm sorry', before her core erupted. An impossible wave of force came rocketing out from Penny's form, the light brighter than the sun as Ruby felt herself thrown back once more by the sheer explosive power. The deafening bang made Ruby feel like her ears were going to explode, her hands automatically reaching up to cover them as she tried to scream, but she wasn't sure if she simply failed to scream or if it had been overridden by the sound._

_It felt like an eternity, the blast. Even when she thought it had faded away, her eyes were still blind, her ears still ringing, and her body felt like it was on fire. She could hear someone shouting, but it was muffled by the ringing in her ears. A hand touched her shoulder and it felt like an explosion went off within her, her voice coming back with a vengeance as she screamed in agony. Blinking rapidly, the light slowly faded from her eyes, leading her to see the worried red eyes of Yang, only the barest wisp of flame left in her hair. Yang tried to speak to her, but though she could see her lips moving, she couldn't hear what she was saying._

_Ruby had a brief moment of panic where she worried she was deaf, but the worry disappeared as she remembered what had happened. Struggling, she tried to wave Yang out of the way so she could see, shoving at Yang's legs to try and make her move. Yang complied, stepping aside, giving Ruby the view she would never forget._

_A massive crater lay in the center of the area, the entire region surrounding it blackened and charred. Only splashes of black blood remained, the entirety of the Drake vaporized in the ensuing explosion…and with it, Penny. Ruby couldn't take it, and she dropped her head to the ground, tears running from her face as she lay upon the cool earth, no longer caring._

* * *

Ruby came back to herself, realizing quickly she was kneeling on the floor with her hands covering her face. She felt the wetness of tears on her cheek, her shoulders still shaking from the tension and fear the memory brought back within her. A careful cough sounded from her left. She lowered her hands enough to see Ozpin, holding a small bottle of water in his hand out for her. Sniffling, she took it, removing the cap and taking a deep draught of it, letting the water wash away the lingering taste of smoke that had come back from her memory. Glancing up, she saw that the Penny projection was seated on the edge of the table, hands clasping it as she looked down at Ruby.

"Are you okay, Ruby?" Penny asked.

"I…how…how did you survive? I saw...I saw what you did. How?" Ruby begged.

The Penny hologram sighed. "I expected to die that day, when I overloaded my core. I did not think I would survive. But point three two seven seconds before the overload began the explosion sequence, I realized…I did not want to lose you. I did not want to lose any of my friends. I had things I still wished to do. So I took a gamble, like you had taught me when you taught me to play poker. I was still connected to the Atlas CCT at the time. I took as much of my memory, my personality, everything I could gather in that time frame and shot it back towards the CCT."

Penny hopped off the edge of the table, her holographic feet making no sound as they landed, and walked over towards the large windows in the front of the bridge. Her digital voice was soft as she spoke. "It was…confusing. For a time I was not truly myself, I was just a bundle of data that was too scattered to function. But while I was trying to piece myself back together, as my subroutines tried desperately to keep my data in one file, I still was searching a place to stop leaping from in order to do exactly that. Shortly after that fight, Vale fell, and though I wasn't able to comprehend it fully in that state, my functions decided staying at the CCT was not safe. So I found another place, a quiet one, hidden beneath the earth."

"The Reclamation," Ruby breathed.

Penny nodded gravely. "Here, I was able to piece myself back together. It took quite some time…by the time I had finished, Atlas had fallen. I was unsure of what to do, so I decided to wait. I could not receive much information from outside at this point, so I had little recourse. But eventually, I was found, and- "

"I?" Ruby queried. "I thought they didn't know you were in here."

Penny's holographic face changed hue slightly, making Ruby think of a blush. "Well, I mean…I _am_ the Reclamation at this point. It is kind of me."

Ruby shrugged. "That's fair I guess."

"Anyways, I decided to help the Headmaster in his mission, but it wasn't long after I chose to I found out you were…missing. Along with Yang and Weiss. He had many meetings with Blake about it, and with JNPR as well. I was scared to reveal myself without you here…I feared he would try to shut me down."

"Allow me to reassure you, Miss Polendina, the thought has never crossed my mind. You are a valuable part of this team, in my opinion…and beyond that, I agreed with your father fully. I know you have a soul as much as I do." Ozpin replied, taking a sip from his mug.

"Thank you, Headmaster. But that is truly all there is to my tale. I'm sorry for not being there for you, Ruby."

"You are now," Ruby whispered, climbing to her feet. "But…now we can get you a new body! I'm sure we can figure out how to build one!"

"I do have my schematics stored in my memory banks, but…I cannot leave the Reclamation. Not now."

Ruby blinked. "What? Why not?"

Penny gestured around her. "Because this project needs the Reclamation…and the Reclamation needs me to function as efficiently as possible. Because I believe in what Ozpin wishes to do, what Blake and JNPR wish to do. I am not doing this because I am forced to, but because I want to be as much help as I can, and right now…I am of more use here, than I would be out there."

Ruby turned to Ozpin, staring at him directly in his eyes. "And what exactly is it you want to accomplish in the end? I didn't forget you said you wanted my help. What are you trying to do, Ozpin?"

Ozpin set his mug down on the table next to him, before turning to Penny. "Miss Polendina, would you be so kind as to bring up the file marked 2NRW?" With a simple nod, the viewing bay windows were covered by a black screen, as a video began to play across it. With a gulp, Ruby recognized herself, just days before, where she. Weiss, Blake, and Yang had been fighting to defend the village Yang had been staying in. It cut directly to the scene where she had ridden Weiss' summoned Nevermore and slew the two flying above, before it cut off a moment later. Ruby gave Ozpin a questioning glance, as he gestured towards the screen.

"Ruby, I have been the face of the Reclamation Project for the past eight years. It was an exceedingly slow start, especially considering how little aid the other kingdoms wanted to provide for what they saw as a futile venture. However, having JNPR and Blake on my side made a major impression. You see, Remnant watched the Fall, and no one missed how teams RWBY and JNPR were central to stopping the Fall, as well as to saving as many lives as they did. Everyone knows who brought Cinder Fall down, you know. Not everyone knows what you look like, but everyone knows your name."

He took a step forward towards the back of the bridge, clasping his hands behind his back. "I am a warrior at heart, just as you are, but I'm not a leader. Not anymore. I can be a politician, I can be an educator, but at the end of the day, people follow me because they believe I am right…but not because they want to. I do not inspire loyalty, or desire to push to a greater level. Not as you do."

He turned to face Ruby again, looking at her with ancient eyes, eyes that held both wisdom and pain of ages. "Atlas _will_ be reclaimed. At our current projections, we believe it will be ours in as little as a year. But my plans do not end with Atlas. Atlas was secondary. Atlas being rebuilt does not inspire the same hope that I would wish to in the people of Remnant, the belief we can fight back against the darkness at our door. No, if we want the people of our world to hope again, to believe again, we need to go further. We need to take more. We need to retrieve what is ours."

"You want to reclaim Vale," Ruby whispered.

Ozpin nodded gravely. "I do. I have gathered equipment and agreements with the other nations. Over the next few years, every free hunter team will be coming to Atlas, training, preparing. Mistral and Vacuo will mobilize everyone they can, every soldier who is willing to fight for Remnant, and prepare them. But in the end, we need a beacon of our own, a light that others will follow in the jaws of death and will guide them back out of the darkness. I will fight that day, I will give it my all as well, but I cannot be that leader. However, someone else in this room can."

"But, I…I can't possibly…people wouldn't…" Ruby stuttered, stepping away from Ozpin, waving her hands in front of her in negation.

"People already believe in you. Do you not realize that your team still loves you, still believes in you, even after all this time? This video was what convinced Mistral and Vacuo to commit to my plan, because they could see Ruby Rose, a hero that others believe in, fighting for the people."

Ozpin picked up his mug and took a drink from it, before letting out a long sigh. "I am aware, Ruby, that you are hurt. It is fairly easy for me to say, even with only the bare minimum knowledge of psychology, to say you have depression. And that makes it very difficult for you to believe in yourself. So understand this…I will not in any way force you to do this, nor do I want you to feel obligated. I will lead this force myself if you cannot, or I will look for someone else who can. Do not feel like you must. All I need you to know is that I truly believe in you, Ruby Rose. I believed in you thirteen years ago when I selected you for my academy, and to this day you still have not made me falter in that belief, not once."

Ruby stumbled slightly as she backed up into the seat behind her. Gripping the edge of it, she swallowed, trying to keep her balance. Penny strode up next to her silently, her holographic hand resting on Ruby's shoulder. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could almost feel the slightest tingling sensation when Penny did that, the barely hint of a touch. "I believe in you too, Ruby."

"I…I need…time," Ruby managed to get out, breathing shallowly.

Ozpin nodded. "Of course. There is no rush, nor do I expect you to decide soon. Please, return to your team, rest, and think it over. Discuss with them if you wish. Blake was not aware yet of my plans, I had planned to tell her and JNPR shortly, but feel free to tell them as well. I see no reason to keep it secret from anyone anymore…I only kept my counsel before as I did not want to get hopes up if I could not get agreements from Vacuo or Mistral as well. Thank you for listening to me, Miss Rose."

Ruby nodded jerkily, before she turned and started to exit the room. She paused before the door, turning back to look at Penny and Ozpin. "Penny, you'll…you'll still be here later, right?"

"Of course," Penny replied.

Ruby took a deep breath, giving a small smile to Penny before she strode out the door, back towards the barracks…towards her family. She had a lot to think about.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 35, just during RWBY Season 4 Trailer hype, amirite?! Ugh, I love this show, even with all its problems and often bad writing, I am so obsessed. Mostly because of you guys, the fans! Sure, there are quite a few problematic fans (like the ones who attack other people for their ships, like wtf), but most of you guys are just wonderful and loving people who say the nicest things, and I just want to say thank you once more! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter...its very slow, but a few little fun moments you may enjoy. :)

"What do you think Ozpin wanted with Rubbles?" Yang asked as she lay back, arms crossed behind her head.

Blake shrugged. "I have no idea. Perhaps he just wanted to welcome her back?"

"Are you sure? What if he upsets her? She could run again if he's not careful!" Weiss exclaimed, her arms waving dramatically.

Blake arched an eyebrow at Weiss. "You realize you look just like Ruby when you do that?"

Weiss' cheeks went pink as she puffed out her cheeks, her eyes narrowing at Blake. "Regardless! It's been nearly twenty minutes! We should check on her, make sure she's ok!"

"I'm fine, Weiss," came the quiet voice from the doorframe. Three heads turned towards the door, seeing Ruby standing in the doorway, leaning heavily against the frame.

"Ruby!" Weiss called out, before rushing to her side. She reached out for her, but paused as she noted Ruby's demeanor. Biting her lip, Weiss began to pull back, but Ruby reached out and put an arm around Weiss waist, pulling her in closely for a hug. Weiss relaxed into her arms, carefully squeezing her back as Ruby let out a long sigh.

"Is everything okay, Rubes?" Yang asked cautiously.

Ruby sighed again, slumping against Weiss' petite frame. Weiss grunted for a moment as she took on more of Ruby's weight, her knees buckling slightly before Ruby noticed. The younger woman straightened up so as to relieve Weiss of her weight, before stumbling over to her bed and flopping down onto it bonelessly. Weiss followed behind her, sitting next to her as Ruby lay on her back, arms akimbo as she stared up at the bed above her.

"I'm…okay. I guess. It's just a lot to take in," Ruby replied after a few moments of silence.

"What is?"

"My continued existence is a factor, I would assume," came the voice from the wall next to Ruby and Weiss' bed. Ruby didn't flinch, but Weiss, Yang, and Blake all jumped, as a tiny beam of light shot out from the wall, projecting Penny's holographic form into the center of the room.

" _Penny?!_ " came three voices in unison.

Ruby sighed. "You could see into the room the entire time?"

Penny's hologram shrugged. "I wasn't watching it when you arrived. I normally stay in low power mode and only keep track of the engines during downtime."

"Wait one dust damned minute! Penny, what the hell?" Yang cried out, leaping to her feet.

"It is a bit of a long story. Ruby, should- "

"Just tell them, Penny," Ruby interrupted.

Penny nodded. "You may wish to sit down."

* * *

"You've…been here this entire time and didn't want to say anything? Not even to me?" Blake asked, eyes wide.

"I was afraid Ozpin would shut me down," Penny replied calmly.

"He would never do that!" Blake exclaimed.

"I had full access to all files that General Ironwood and Specialist Schnee had placed within the Reclamation. Many times Ozpin has taken actions that were to the great benefit of all involved. But there were cases, many years past, where Ozpin had taken actions that were detrimental for some individuals. I was unsure what decision he would reach involving my continued existence…therefore, I did not take the risk."

"That doesn't exactly make my decision much easier," Ruby cut in.

"I am sorry, Ruby, but if it helps, it has been many years since he took such an action, and he has not taken any morally ambiguous actions since before you entered Beacon," Penny said, turning to Ruby's prone form.

Ruby made a noncommittal noise, but didn't respond any further. Weiss looked up at Penny's hologram. "Did he mention whether his plans involved the rest of us?"

"He did not, but having seen what he wishes to do, he would gladly accept any and all of you into the force he is arraying against the Grimm within Vale. I believe he wishes to use the acclaim you and team JNPR gathered eight years ago. Based on what communications we receive from Vacuo and Mistral, the populace of those kingdoms fully recognizes you as heroes and would follow you," Penny explained.

"Follow us into the depths of hell, you mean," Ruby replied.

Penny cocked her head at Ruby. "You do not think that is a good thing?"

Ruby opened her eyes and stared up at the bunk above her. "I don't know what I think anymore. But I'm no hero, no beacon, no leader."

"The people think you are," Penny replied softly.

"The people think wrong!" Ruby replied hotly.

Penny shook her head slowly. "No. The people think you are a hero because you did heroic things. Do you not think Weiss, Blake, and Yang were heroes, during the Fall? Do you think so little of me, you think I was not a hero?"

Ruby gaped at Penny, sitting up instantly. "What? Of course you guys were! Especially you! You gave your life for everyone!"

"I gave my life for _you_. For Weiss, for Blake, for Yang. For my _friends_. I did not overload my core to defeat the Drake because I was trying to protect the people. I did it to protect my friends. Does that make my sacrifice less because of it?"

"I didn't say that! Why are you twisting my words!" Ruby shook her head as though to clear it, before looking up at Weiss beseechingly. Weiss shook her head no slowly, the expression on her face making it clear she agreed with Penny. Glancing up at Blake and Yang, she could see the same look mirrored on their faces.

Penny stepped forward, her voice soft but with a core of steel in it as she stared down at Ruby, refusing to break her gaze. "I am not asking you to lead Ozpin's army, to be what he asked of you. What I _am_ doing is pointing out the logical holes in your argument. You, Ruby Rose, performed heroic actions time and time again during the Fall. Based upon the reports coming out of Vacuo about the 'Grimm Reaper', you continued that trend for the past eight years. Ruby, I am your friend. I may not be as I was, but I am still your friend, and will forever be so. You may be hurting, and you may have trouble seeing yourself as I see you, but I see one of the most heroic people I have ever known sitting before me."

Penny's glance swept across the room, locking eyes with each of the women sitting in the room. "The same is true of each of you. You saved thousands, tens of thousands of lives during the Fall. And now…now you have an opportunity. A chance to do something that the people of Remnant have not been able to do in millennia. Reclaiming Atlas was not as difficult as Vale…the number of Grimm in Atlas was not half of what it is in Vale. Even now, with no people to feed off of, the Grimm are still drawn to the lingering despair and fear left in the kingdom, like a miasma of pain. But together, with the armies coming to Atlas to prepare for the assault, Vale _can_ be reclaimed."

"…do you truly think so?" Ruby asked in a whisper, hands gripping the bed tightly as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

Penny nodded. "Yes. I do. I have seen what Ozpin plans. He has no desire to make an attack without every single possibility accounted for. It is why he has left Ren more in charge of the Project for years now…he has been calculating every possible outcome. Every day he is in his office, running scenarios through the Reclamation's computer. I have been assisting in the algorithm's. He has planned out every eventuality he could, but the one he cannot factor is the strength of the soldier's own hearts. It is only with will and determination that the people of Remnant can face down the beasts of Grimm, and for that, they need something to believe in…or someone."

"I…I…I can't…ugh!" Ruby threw her hands up in frustration and leapt to her feet. She stomped over to the wall and slapped it with one hand, leaning her head against it as she breathed in deeply.

"I'm sorry for causing you such distress," Penny began, but Ruby waved her off.

"No, no, you're not…wrong. I guess. I dunno. I know you're telling me how you feel, but…dust, my brain doesn't want to believe you!"

Weiss carefully took Ruby's dangling hand and squeezed it tightly. "I agree with Penny. Trust her. Trust all of us."

"Forget that part of your brain, sis. I believe in you. I always have," Yang said with a soft smile. Blake kept silent, but even with her back to Blake Ruby could feel the weight of her gaze and just _knew_ Blake was silently agreeing with the others.

Ruby sighed, letting the silence fill the room for a while, before Penny decided to break it. "As Ozpin said, now is not the time to decide. Think about it. But perhaps you should rest, it is getting late. I will make certain the room stays at a comfortable temperature for you."

Ruby snorted. "You control the temp too?"

"Of course. I am the Reclamation, and she is me."

Ruby chuckled sadly. "Okay Penny. Thank you." Penny nodded, before her light flickered out, the projection disappearing from the center of the room. Ruby let out a contemplative noise, before shoving herself back up from the wall she had been leaning on. Squeezing Weiss' hand before letting it go, she turned to look at the other two. Blake kept her eyes steady on Ruby's, her expression not betraying how she felt, as Yang bit her lip. "Well…what do you guys think?"

"I'm…a bit in shock, honestly," Blake began. "I didn't know that was his plan, at all. I was not expecting that."

Yang wrapped one arm around Blake's waist, leaning against her. "It's a nice idea. I just don't know how he plans on doing it. Vale was…pretty infested when we left. I doubt it's much better now."

"It's not. We've run missions into Vale. I lost count of how many different types of Grimm were in the main city. And the worst part…there is at least one more Drake."

Ruby perked up, eyes going wide as they bored into Blake's. "Another Drake?"

Blake nodded solemnly. " _At least_. We could see its silhouette against the remains of the CCT, but we made sure to stay under the radar so it didn't notice us. But when we were leaving, Ren spotted something flying into the kingdom. It was too far to get a good look, but it did _not_ look like a Griffon or a Nevermore. It was _massive_."

Ruby paused for a moment before groaning, slamming her hands into her face. With a sigh, she let her knees buckle, collapsing onto the ground in an undignified heap. Weiss let out an 'eep' noise as Ruby suddenly fell, instantly dropping to her knees to check on her. Ruby batted away Weiss' hands gently. "I'm _fine_. I'm just…so tired. It's too much to think about. Can we just go to bed and make out and forget things?"

Weiss blinked, pink creeping into her cheeks at Ruby's bluntness. A cough sounded from the bed across the way, with Yang arching an eyebrow. "Ehem, little sis, _I'm_ still in this room, and I have _no_ desire to see you swapping spit with the Ice Queen."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Fine! Weiss, come with me, we're going to make out and get all hot and heavy and I'll probably cop a feel or ten, we'll just do it somewhere else! How's that, Yang?!"

Yang's eye twitched as Blake's jaw dropped. Weiss turned her head slowly to look at Ruby, her own eye twitch pronounced. "Don't _I_ get a say in this?"

Ruby arched an eyebrow at Weiss. "Are you saying no?" Weiss sputtered, her pink cheeks going darker as Ruby put her on the spot. She slid her eyes away from Ruby, refusing to meet her gaze as she mumbled something indecipherable under her breath. Ruby smirked. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that?"

"I said yes, you dolt!" Weiss snapped at Ruby, the blush on her face at odds with her angry tone. Ruby chuckled to herself.

"Ok that is _way_ too much, Rubes! I don't want to hear about what kinky crap you and princess get up to!" Yang exclaimed, waving her hands in the air wildly.

Ruby leapt to her feet, grabbing Weiss hand and sniffing at the air haughtily. "And you won't! C'mon Weiss, let's go to the library, it'll be quiet there."

"Hey wait a second, not the library! That's my room!" Blake interjected, glaring at Ruby. As the two matched stares, Blake hopped to her feet, reaching down and grabbing Yang's hand. "You two stay here, Yang is coming with me to the library!"

"I'm what? When was this decided?" Yang asked.

A slow smile spread over Blake's face as her eyes went half-lidded. With a purr in her voice, she leaned in close to Yang and spoke, her lips just barely touching Yang's ear. "Right now. Is there a problem, Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang didn't even hesitate, leaping to her feet with the tiniest flickers of flame leaping around in her golden hair. Ignoring her flushing state, Yang saluted Blake with her free hand and began marching out of the room. "No ma'am! To the library!" Blake turned her head back just as she was being pulled through the door, smirking at the other two women and giving a wink just before the door slid shut behind her.

Ruby blinked, raising both eyebrows. "Was it just me, or was that kinda hot?" A moment of silence passed, before Ruby turned to look at Weiss. "Weiss?"

Weiss was biting her lip, eyes glazed over slightly as she stared in the direction of the door the other two women had just exited from. Ruby's jaw dropped, before she slapped Weiss' shoulder, startling the pale girl. Weiss turned to Ruby, flabbergasted, as Ruby frowned at her. "What was that for?" Weiss demanded.

"You were having totally inappropriate thoughts about my sister and Blake!" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Weiss scoffed, not letting the heat in her cheeks deter her. "Didn't you just say that was hot?"

"Well, yes, but…you know what, shut up!" Ruby pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Weiss let the silence continue for a moment, before sitting next to her, noting how Ruby's expression had gone to a more neutral one. Carefully, she reached over and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, stroking her hair lightly with her fingertips. Ruby leaned slightly into Weiss' hand, sighing.

"Is everything okay?" Weiss asked, her worried eyes focused on Ruby.

"No, it's really not. But I meant what I said earlier, I don't want to talk right now. I just want to forget for a little bit. And to be honest, I _do_ actually want to make out with you. You're _gorgeous_ ," Ruby breathed out the last word, relaxing her arms.

Weiss flushed at Ruby's comment, but kept her blue eyes steady on Ruby's silver ones. She turned to fully face Ruby, reaching up with her free hand to wrap around Ruby's neck, clasping her hands behind Ruby's form. "That sounds like an excellent idea," Weiss whispered.

Ruby clambered onto her hands and knees, before straightening up to loom over Weiss slightly. Gently, she pushed Weiss back onto the bed, going down slowly with her so Weiss' grip on the back of her neck never released. She found herself straddling Weiss' waist, her arms holding her up on either side of Weiss' head. Gazing down, she couldn't help but take a moment to feel lost in those ice blue eyes, filled with nothing but trust. Trust for _her_.

"Weiss…thank you," Ruby whispered.

"For what?" came Weiss' reply, just as quiet.

"For trusting me. For believing in me. For just…coming back to me, even after I was such a jerk."

"Dummy. I've always believed in you, Ruby Rose, and I always will. Now just kiss me alre- "Weiss' demand was cut off by a sudden pressure on her lips, Ruby fusing her lips to Weiss' with enthusiasm. Weiss let out a pleased, muffled noise, as she gripped Ruby's hair between her fingers, carefully parting the strands and running her fingers through Ruby's hair. Tugging insistently on Ruby's form, she tried to get Ruby to lay down but the younger woman stubbornly stayed above her, their skin not quite touching. Breaking the kiss, Weiss opened her eyes to glare at Ruby. "What are you doing?"

Ruby flushed slightly. "Weiss, I…you know, I'm kind of a bit bigger than you. You're still really, umm…"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Skinny? Short?" she asked archly.

Ruby shook her head no frantically. "No, no! I mean, umm…petite! Yeah, you're petite! I don't want to crush you or anything."

Weiss rolled her eyes, before yanking on Ruby's neck. The younger woman, unprepared for the pull, yelped as she found herself crashing down on top of the older woman. Ruby immediately tried to push herself off, but Weiss let out a tiny snarl, making Ruby freeze. Lifting her eyes, Ruby met Weiss' narrowed eyes once more. "I _am_ still a huntress, Ruby. I'm quite capable of handling your weight. Now, if I recall correctly, not only did you promise to make out with me, but you _also_ mentioned something about copping a feel, hmm?"

Ruby's jaw dropped as her eye twitched. "Is…is that…an invitation?"

Weiss smirked up at Ruby, her eyes going half-lidded. Ruby bit back a gasp as Weiss foot slowly brushed against the inside of her thigh, trailing down her legs, before she quickly wrapped it around the back of Ruby's leg, locking them closer together. One of her hands began gently tickling Ruby's neck, sending shivers up Ruby's spine as the other hand crept down her shoulder and began to trail down Ruby's side slowly. As Weiss' hand barely brushed the swell of Ruby's breast, Ruby hissed out a breath, feeling sparks shooting through her at the tiniest touch of Weiss' hand.

When Weiss stopped just at her hip, Ruby could only stare down, wide-eyed, at the smirking woman beneath her. Weiss lifted her head up just enough to whisper into Ruby's ear "Why don't you try and find out?"

It took all of three seconds for Ruby to come to a decision. With the tiniest of growls, Ruby pounced.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 36! I still have a slot open for my DnD game I'm planning on running for those interested. And as for the chapter, I have only one thing to say...Teehee!

Blake didn't wait until they had reached the library, slamming Yang into the wall outside of it and fusing her lips to the blonde's. Yang was shocked by how aggressive Blake was, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the way Blake wanted her so badly. Breaking the kiss, her breath already coming out in pants, Yang stared down into amber eyes, noting how the intensity in Blake's gaze. "Uh…you uh, really wanted that, huh?"

Blake smiled softly at Yang, one hand cupping Yang's cheek gently. "I waited eight years, Yang. I've loved you for so long I don't even know what it's like not to be in love with you. You were everything I needed, everything I wanted. All I knew was shadows and night, all I knew was skulking in alleys and fighting for every scrap of food. Then you come into my life, with that klutz of a sister of yours and the prissy princess, and you three gave me something I never had. A home. A place to be me. And you brought me even more…you gave me the sun."

Yang had no response, heat in her cheeks as her heart pounded in her chest. She opened her mouth helplessly, but had no chance to respond as Blake's grin turned decidedly feral. Blake's gaze was that of a predator as her eyes bored into Yang's. Blake's free hand reached back and gripped Yang's hair, Yang tapping down on her instinctive urge to light up, but found it harder when Blake yanked, pulling her head back and exposing her neck to Blake's sudden nips.

"Is something wrong, Yang?" Blake asked mockingly, cutting Yang's retort off with another blazing kiss on her throat. Yang snarled, gripping Blake's hips tightly and pulling Blake flush against her front. Yang went to return the kiss, but her vision suddenly blurred, forcing her to let out a loud gasp.

Blake's ears twitched as she heard the shift in Yang's heartbeat. Up this close, she had been able to hear it pounding, but it had been regular…now, it shifted, the sound changing, losing the constant reassuring pattern. Blake glanced up, eyes wide, feeling Yang's hands shaking on her hips. Yang let go of Blake, clutching at her chest, nearly hyperventilating in response.

"Yang? Yang, what's wrong? Yang!" Blake called, worry flooding through her as Yang sunk to one knee.

Through panted breaths, Yang shook her head helplessly. "I-I don't know…I…oh Dust, what…I'm…I can't see straight, Blake, I…"

Blake quickly dropped to her knees beside Yang, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and rubbing her back gently. "Hold on, Yang, please, hold on. Let me go get the doctor real- "

"N-no! Don't leave me, please, don't leave me," Yang pleaded, her shaking becoming more prominent.

"Yang you need help, let me get you help!" Blake replied, but Yang only clutched at her harder, her hands gripping Blake's arms as she leaned forward, resting her forehead on Blake's shoulder. Her breathing steadied slightly, but Blake could feel the sweat dripping of Yang's forehead. Her shoulders stopped shaking, but her hands continued, allowing Blake to feel the tremors through Yang's hand without problem.

Yang took a deep steadying breath, but kept her eyes closed as she leaned against Blake. Gulping, she tried to speak. "I…can you…take me to him? I don't want to be alone but I think…I think I need to see him."

Blake nodded, but her eyes were still worried as she gazed down at Yang. "Are you sure you can walk?"

"No, not really, but…I need to go. Help me up?" Yang answered. Blake staggered as she took on Yang's weight, but managed to pull her to her feet. One of Yang's arms over Blake's shoulders, the two began hobbling together towards the exit.

* * *

"Well, considering the previously noted liver damage, and the nature of your neurotransmitters, I think it's safe to conclude you are an alcoholic, Miss Xiao Long," Bercilak said in a deadpan tone. Yang hung her head, refusing to look up at the doctor as he began scribbling down on a pad next to him. "I'm guessing you have quit cold turkey?"

"Yes," Yang whispered in reply.

"Well, there you have it. Classic withdrawal symptoms. How long ago did you stop?"

Yang thought about it for a moment. "Few days?"

Bercilak wrote something down on his pad again, humming to himself. Blake hovered next to Yang, worried, but keeping her worries internal. "Longer than normal. I must assume it is due to the nature of your Aura and Semblance most likely. Symptoms normally appear within less than a day and continue for a few days beyond, perhaps a week. Unfortunately, my supplies are…limited. I can give you something for the nausea and fever, but I have no antipsychotics."

Blake started, eyes wide. "Antipsychotics?"

"Yes. Hallucinations are not uncommon later in the process. We may be lucky and Yang may not encounter any, but I prefer to keep all possibilities out in the open so as to be prepared. Seizures are also a distinct possibility. But perhaps Yang's symptoms will remain mild…Aura does alter body chemistry after all. Still, it's best she rest for the next few days, until her system begins to stabilize."

Blake looked down at Yang, the blonde woman trying to breathe deeply, her head bowed down. Biting her lip, Blake placed a gentle hand on Yang's back. "Yang?"

Yang waved one hand weakly. "Yeah, I hear ya doc. C-can I get that thing for the nausea?"

Bercilak nodded once. "Of course, Miss Xiao Long. Luckily for you, I recently received a new shipment from Mistral of medication…this should help." A quick jaunt to a medicine cabinet on the other side of the small office and he had a bottle in hand, carrying it back and handing it to Blake. "Take two of these twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. It should help keep the nausea and fever down. If you have even the slightest hint of hallucinations or seizures, make sure to tell Blake so she can retrieve me. I can help you through them, but only if I know."

"I'm surprised you're not lecturing me," Yang began, a weak chuckle in her voice.

Bercilak paused in his writing on his pad, taking a deep breath before a wry smile crossed his face. "Because I know how you feel all too well, Yang. Like many, I lost my way after the fall…and lost someone dear to me. My young son. As a doctor with access to prescription hallucinogenic medication, I made a terrible mistake. It took me years, but I am clean now. The only thing I wish to say to you is that I am happy you are taking this step, and as your doctor, I will be here for whatever you need. Now, go rest. I'll see you two in a day or two."

Yang gulped, nodding as she unsteadily climbed to her feet. Blake kept her arms open, ready to catch Yang, but Yang seemed determined to make it herself. One hand gripping the back of the chair, the other gripping Blake's outstretched hand, Yang stood up straight, taking a moment as the world spun about her dizzily. With a deep breath, she nodded at Blake, and the two began to walk haltingly from the office.

* * *

By the time they'd made it back to the Reclamation, Yang was barely able to walk, her breath coming in pants. Yang paused by the door.

"Blakey?" Yang asked, her voice querulous.

"Yes, Yang?"

"I…I don't want Ruby to see me like this. Is there a different barracks I can sleep in tonight?"

Blake blinked, before looking up at the sky in contemplation. "Well, I mean, there are a few, but…"

Yang shook her head to interrupt Blake, but quickly regretted it as she felt her stomach roil at the motion. Gulping down the bile building up in her stomach, she spoke quickly. "I know I can't keep it from her forever, but…let her and Weiss have a happy night? Just one?"

Blake's gaze softened as she met Yang's pleading lilac eyes, before she rolled her own. "You need to start caring about yourself too, you know."

"Much better to care about you three. Especially you," Yang replied, a cheeky smile on her face.

Blake rolled her eyes again, but couldn't hide the blush on her cheek. "Stop it, you. Come on, you need to lay down."

Yang gave a half-hysterical giggle. "I'm not sure I can make it that far, heh."

Blake looked over Yang's slumped for once, before coming to a decision. Gently, mindful of Yang's queasiness, she reached down and looped her arm below Yang's legs and behind her back, lifting her up into a bridal carry. With a squeak, Yang threw her arms around Blake's neck, not expecting this. "Um…" Yang began.

"Let me do this. Okay?" Blake replied, stepping carefully into the Reclamation, holding Yang in her arms.

"Aren't I a bit heavy for you, though?" Yang asked, her own worry shining through.

Blake rolled her eyes, wondering if it was possible to roll your eyes too much in one conversation. "I've carried far heavier things than you, Yang. Just relax…I'll get you there."

Yang smiled softly as Blake, closing her eyes and relaxing as much as her body would let her. Curling slightly towards Blake's form, she tightened her grip on the back of Blake's neck. "Okay. Thank you, Blake."

* * *

Ruby jolted awake, eyes wide as she sat straight up in bed. Her chest heaving, she glanced around wildly, before her mind seemed to catch up on where she was. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she placed one hand over her pounding heart and began trying to slow her breathing. _"I guess it was too much to hope the stupid nightmares would go away,"_ she thought to herself. Opening her eyes, she blinked rapidly as she tried to adjust to the darkness of the room. Glancing to the other side, she narrowed her gaze when she realized Blake and Yang's bed was empty. _"They must have stayed in the library doing…things._ " Ruby shuddered at the thought, not interested in picturing her sister entangled with Blake.

Ruby took a casual glance to her left where Weiss was, but her eyes went wide as she realized Weiss was…missing? Ruby wasted no time, leaping out of the bed and frantically gazing around. A glimmer on the doorframe caught her attention, seeing a tiny corner of the door frozen. Dashing into the corridor, Ruby could see a trail of frost along the floor, slowly melting away. Not giving herself time to think, she blurred after it, following it through the twisting hallways of the Reclamation, straight out the door.

Skidding to a stop in the Project zone, she began glancing around, looking for another sign…there! Another trail of frost, parts of it already having vanished into the air, leading down towards the Project center. Her petals fluttered behind her as she chased after the frost, breath coming in short pants.

It took her little time to catch up to Weiss, the pale woman standing perfectly still in the middle of the main road, her back to Ruby. Myrtenaster was held loosely in Weiss' left hand, her form still, but her hand shaking slightly. Ruby stopped a few meters back from Weiss, gazing around curiously, noting how the area around Weiss was already frozen solid, thick ice slowly flowing out from her. Biting her lip, Ruby took a step forward, calling out softly. "Weiss?"

Ruby barely had time to dodge when Weiss spun about, Myrtenaster stabbing towards her face as Weiss snarled. Weiss began thrusting rapidly, Ruby triggering her Semblance to blur between the attacks and dodge each strike. With her Semblance triggered, Ruby could see the pronounced twitch in Weiss' cheek, the blank gaze in her eyes. Silently cursing to herself, Ruby doubled her curses when she saw Weiss begin to spin the Dust cylinder on Myrtenaster.

Not wanting Weiss to summon anything or begin using her glyphs in an explosive fashion, Ruby darted forward and gripped Weiss' wrist in her own, using her other hand to try to pin Weiss' right arm. Weiss began struggling, her snarls becoming more pronounced, as she tried to spin the cylinder even more furiously.

But Ruby had been fighting for eight years, been hunting the most dangerous creatures she could have. Ruby had always been physically stronger than Weiss, second only in team RWBY to Yang due to her accidental weight training that came from carrying around Crescent Rose. And more than once, Ruby had faced off against certain individuals who were intent on causing the lone huntress harm, and she had been caught without her scythe many a time. She'd learn a trick or two in that time.

Pinning Weiss' thumb to the cylinder, Ruby grimaced and silently apologized to Weiss, before gripping at the edges of Weiss' thumb and twisting it. She tried to avoid any lasting damage, but she knew from personal experience how painful that could be, and it seemed Weiss felt the same way. With a cry of pain, Weiss released Myrtenaster, but threw her head forward in a desperate attempt to head-butt Ruby.

Ruby rocked her head back in time, before sweeping one leg out before her, kicking Weiss' legs out from under her. Falling with the shorter woman, Ruby quickly pulled Weiss' arms behind her back, pulling her into a one armed hold as her other arm wrapped about Weiss' midsection, pulling her back into Ruby's arms.

With her head next to Weiss, Ruby began whispering in her ear, trying to get her to calm down. Repeated reminders of who she was, who Weiss was, that she loved her, that she was just trying to help spilling from Ruby's lips.

It took nearly ten minutes of struggling, but after wearing Ruby's patience thin, Weiss suddenly slumped in Ruby's arms, groaning softly. Ruby relaxed her grip on Weiss arms, watching carefully as Weiss brought her hands up to her head and pressed them against her temples, her eyes squeezed shut. Ruby kept her arms around Weiss' waist, holding her carefully as Weiss slowly opened her eyes, turning enough to see Ruby.

"R-Ruby? Wh-what happened? I don't…remember," Weiss mumbled, her mouth dry.

"You uh…went for a walk?" Ruby said, shrugging with a smile plastered on her face. The stoic gaze Weiss gave her made her fake smile falter, and she sighed. "I dunno. I came out here and you had Myrtenaster and were…not in a good state of mind I guess. I was afraid of what you were going to do, so I kind of…wrestled Myrtenaster from you?"

Weiss let out a hysterical sob, turning and burying her face in Ruby's shoulder. Gripping Ruby's shoulders tightly, she lifted her head just enough to ram it back forward, smashing her forehead into Ruby's collarbone. Ruby hissed at the ache from the hit as Weiss just stilled. "I thought I was getting better," Weiss moaned. "Oh Dust, I shouldn't be here, I could hurt someone."

Ruby gulped, hearing the sheer shame and guilt coloring Weiss' voice. She opened her mouth to speak, but Weiss cut her off, her face still buried in Ruby's shoulder. "I'm too dangerous…" she whispered.

"No! Weiss, it's ok, no one got hurt- "Ruby began.

"That's not the point!" Weiss interrupted, raising her head up to look at Ruby's eyes directly. Tears were slowly trailing down her cheeks, her blue eyes wide as she gazed into Ruby's. "Yang's problems are an external substance, and she can quit, like she is. And you're…a danger to you I guess, but not to others, and you gave your knife to Blake anyways. I'm dangerous to _other_ people! What if you hadn't found me, Ruby? What then? I'm out here in the middle of the project! What if I summoned the Sandworm!? People could have _died_!"

"But no one did!" Ruby protested, gripping Weiss tighter against her.

"But they could have!" Weiss countered, shaking her head desperately. "I…I'm too dangerous to be around people…if the Reclamation is anything like other airships, it has a prison ward. You need to put me in it."

Ruby goggled at Weiss, jaw dropping. She shook her head rapidly. "Fuck no! I'm not locking you up! The hell, Weiss?"

"It's the only way to keep people safe from me!" Weiss said, gripping the edges of Ruby's shirt tightly.

"Nora has this problem too, and they didn't lock her up! You can beat this, you're _Weiss Schnee_!"

Weiss shook her head, before replying bitterly. "The Schnee's are dead. I'm just…Weiss. The psycho."

Ruby hissed in a breath as a sharp pain sliced through her, remembering what she'd called Weiss the other day. "N-no, Weiss, I was wrong to say that. You're not a psycho, you're just a little damaged, that's all. We can fix this!"

"My brain is _broken_ , Ruby! You can't just up and fix that! I almost hurt people! Ruby, please, if you care about me, don't…don't let me hurt someone. I can't survive that guilt. I can't…" Weiss pleaded with Ruby, the slow tears having become a waterfall of emotion pouring from inside Weiss' heart.

Ruby froze in place, biting her lip, before she shook her head again. "I won't let you hurt anyone, but I am _not_ locking you up! We'll…talk to Ozpin tomorrow, he may have an idea. Ren. Bercilak. Nora! We'll just get everyone together and figure this out, okay?"

Weiss lowered her head, placing it against Ruby's collar once more. Ruby felt her cool breath washing over her neck, allowing the silence to continue as Weiss thought to herself. "Fine…but…you keep ahold of Myrtenaster. Don't let me have it. I'm not safe with it."

"Can't you use your glyphs and summons without it?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, but it's more difficult; plus, every time I've…gone into that state, I always reach for Myrtenaster first. Maybe…that part of me needs it to focus. Or something. I don't know, I don't know anything, but just…please, Ruby. Don't let me hurt anyone."

Ruby hugged Weiss closer to her. "I…I won't."

"Promise?" Weiss' voice was soft and quiet, so child-like that Ruby felt another twinge through her heart at the sheer desperation in Weiss' tone.

"I promise. We'll figure something out, Weiss. I promise. Let's go back and just…sleep."


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than usual, but I simply felt this was the best place to stop. Hope you guys enjoy our newest little wrinkle! XD

Ren's concentration was interrupted by the sound of footsteps from behind him. He didn't bother turning around, flipping the next pancake as a hand rested itself on his back gently. Nora leaned into his side, sighing heavily. Ren kept his gaze on the pan before him. "How are they?"

"I guess Weiss had an…episode…last night. It scared her and she asked Ruby to lock her up. She was in the center of the city," Nora's voice had faded to a whisper by the time she had finished her reply.

Ren paused for a moment, well aware of what was going through Nora's mind, before pouring more batter in the pan. "Nora, no one holds that against you. It was three years ago."

"I hold it against me," came her soft reply.

"I don't. And I won't. You're still my best friend and you always will be."

Nora shook her head once, resting her head on Ren's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Ren's waist. "That's not the point anyways. Weiss is having problems. She needs help too."

"You can't give her your medication, Nora. It's not safe yet. You still have two more months on it before your Aura can finish repairing the damage, you know that," Ren replied, steadfastly refusing to look up from the pan. He moved another finished pancake off the pan, sprinkling in some sliced strawberries for Ruby's batch.

"But she needs it more than I do!" Nora insisted, looking up at Ren and narrowing her eyes. "She's scared, Ren. She's hurt and scared, and Ruby is scared too even though she won't say it! And Yang looks sick, really sick. Doc told her it's because she quit, and that she'll need antipsychotics too until the symptoms go away. What if that happens to Pyrrha too? And Jaune- "

"I _know_!" Ren replied hotly, cutting Nora off. Taking in a deep breath, he moved the pan off the heat to turn to Nora. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her in for a hug, cradling her head against his chest as he rest his head against Nora's. "I know, Nora, but we don't have the supplies right now. We're out, and Mistral has been reluctant to send more. I've been trying to convince them, but I don't have Ozpin's talents when it comes to speeches. I know we need more. We need more everything. I just don't know how we can…we still don't have much of an economy, much less any bargaining chips."

"Can't we buy some?" Nora pleaded.

"The Project doesn't have anything to spare."

Nora shook her head against Ren's chest. "I didn't mean the Project, I meant _us_. We have something stored up, don't we?"

Ren let out a heavy sigh, smiling softly down at Nora. "That's a lovely thought, but we don't have the kind of money needed. Atlas used to rely heavily on its exports, but we can't export like we used to."

"Well, we could, if- "

"Nora, I really don't think now is the time to ask her," Ren replied, breaking the hug enough to look down at Nora with narrowed eyes.

"If not now, when?" Nora replied, staring up at Ren.

"You just said she's scared and confused! How do you think she'd take it if we asked her to sign over the rights to the Schnee Mines?"

"…what about the Schnee Mines?" came the soft, confused voice from the doorway. Ren and Nora glanced up with wide eyes to see Ruby standing in the doorway, one arm leaning against it as she looked at them in confusion.

Ren facepalmed, letting out a heavy sigh. He shared a glance with Nora, the red-head giving a half smile as she left the room, grabbing the trays, stacked with pancakes to take out to the others. Ren gestured towards the small table against the west wall, taking a seat and waving his hand at the other. Ruby tilted her head for a moment, her gaze seeking, before she carefully took a seat on the other side.

Ren scratched at the back of his neck for a moment. "The Reclamation Project is rebuilding Atlas, but we've been doing it by indebting ourselves very heavily to Mistral and Vacuo. We need supplies, and we need them desperately. It's been a constant fight to get supplies from Mistral more than Vacuo…Vacuo were happy to help, but Mistral…their leaders are afraid. Ever since the Fall, they've locked the kingdom down heavily, and are very stringent with what they provide us. The problem is, Vacuo cannot provide for us what Mistral can."

Ren took a deep breath. "Vacuo provides us with most of our food supplies, and a good portion of the stone we've been using to rebuild. Timber is easy, Atlas has always had good supplies of wood, and the Grimm don't destroy forested areas. But medicines? Fuel? These things Vacuo has exceedingly limited supplies of, as I'm sure you know from the time you spent there." Ruby nodded, barely flinching at the reminder. Ren continued. "Mistral is the only kingdom we can get those from, but…it's difficult."

"And that's what we need for Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Weiss _and_ Nora…Nora's running low. And Yang for that matter…possibly Pyrrha, when her symptoms kick in. Jaune needs his pain medication…even after what you did, phantom pain still hits him every so often. Bercilak gave me a list last night of what he's running low on, and it's…it's not good. We're short a lot of medicine we desperately need, not just for us, but for the people living here."

"What does that have to do with the Schnee Mines?"

Ren let out a long sigh. "The mines could give Atlas the buying power it needs. It could revitalize its economy. But…the mines are legally owned by the Schnee family, according to inter-kingdom law. Mistral and Vacuo still follow those, and Ozpin is determined to keep Atlas in that vein. So with one Schnee left alive…we can't touch the mines."

Ruby cocked her head. "But I'm sure if you asked Weiss would let you. She doesn't even want to rebuild the SDC, she just wants to live."

"I don't feel right, asking her that. Asking her to give up her legacy, especially when she's delusional half the time," Ren replied bluntly.

Ruby chuckled at Ren. "Ren, I'm happy you care, and I know Weiss will be flattered, but…trust me on this, she isn't going to give a damn. Here, let's settle this." Before Ren could stop her, Ruby raised her voice. " _Weiss! C'mere would you?_ "

"Is something the matter?" Weiss asked as she stepped in from the other room, dabbing at her lip with a napkin. Her eyes were still haunted from the events of the night before, but Ren could see she was trying to hold her composure and be friendly around the rest of them.

"So Ren was sitting here saying they wanna start mining the Dust from the Schnee Mines to bring back Atlas' economy and stuff, and get the lien they need to import all the medication and crap they need from Mistral, but they can't do it cause you still own them legally. I tried to tell him you don't care about them but he's being stubborn and thinks it's wrong to ask."

Weiss arched an eyebrow at Ren. "Is this true?" Ren rolled his eyes, nodding after a brief moment of consternation. Weiss scoffed. "Ren, the Schnee Dust Company is dead. I wouldn't want to rebuild it even if I could. Its legacy is part of what led the White Fang to join Cinder's insane crusade. If it could help this project, help rebuild, then mine them. My only demand is that you do better than my father did."

Ren flushed slightly, but held up his hands in surrender. "Very well. I'll have to get the paperwork together, but I'll begin talks to reopen the mines. But it doesn't change the current predicament. It will take time before we can do that…and we need supplies now." Ren planted his chin in his hand, resting his arm against the table. "I suppose I'll need to go to Mistral and plead our case directly."

Weiss kept quiet, not entirely sure what he was referring to, but Ruby couldn't hold back her questions. "Is that even going to work?"

Ren let out a bark of humorless laughter. "Most likely not, but I have to try. Sometimes they listen to me, all because I'm part of the 'great team JNPR', but my legend isn't exactly as widespread as others. Being the quiet member of the team tends to lead to people forgetting you were there." The bitter sarcasm in Ren's voice made both Weiss and Ruby rock back slightly.

Ruby let the silence stew in the room for a moment, before she turned to look back at Weiss. Weiss looked at her and a moment of silent communication passed between them. Weiss gave a small nod, biting her lip as Ruby turned back to Ren. Ruby gulped, taking a deep breath, before reaching out to grab Ren's hand, drawing his attention to her. Ren looked at Ruby's serious expression with narrowed eyes. "Ozpin told me something. He said people, especially in Mistral and Vacuo, think I'm some sort of hero. Is that true?"

Ren nodded silently, curious to see where this was going. Ruby rolled her shoulders, fidgeting in her seat. "And you know, I told you about what he asked me when we got here, right?"

"Yes, Ruby, I know. Where are you going with this?"

"What if…what if I went with you, and tried to ask for help too? Would…would that make a difference?"

Ren blinked once, twice, a third time, before shaking his head. "I can't ask that of you. It's not an enjoyable experience, having to justify to a bunch of politicians why they should donate to what they think is a doomed idea. It's frustrating and upsetting. I can't ask you to do that."

Ruby leaned forward over the table. "You didn't answer my question. Would it help?"

Ren sighed. "Maybe? It's entirely possible. But…they know you by your scythe…and your cloak. I haven't seen you wearing that since you returned, and the reports from Vacuo said you wore a brown cloak as the Grimm Reaper. I'm not prying but…not sure how much it would help without the red cloak."

Ruby froze in place. She felt her heartrate pick up slightly, could feel the cold sweat begin to dip down the back of her neck, but she was startled from her upcoming attack by the soft, cool feel of Weiss' hand on the back of her neck, rubbing it gently. Releasing Ren's hand and reaching up to grip Weiss', Ruby let out a deep breath. She let her eyes meet Ren's gaze. "I…I'm not sure about the cloak, but I'll have Crescent Rose. Yang…she has it. For me. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to wear it, yet. But…I'll think about it. I want to help, Ren…and if this can get the others what they need, I'll do it."

Ren shook his head and sighed. "Fine. I planned on leaving this evening, so if you plan on coming, just keep that in mind. But let's discuss it later. The pancakes will get cold. Let's join the others."

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Rubes?" Yang asked.

Ruby stood in the middle of the room, staring down at the pack sitting on the bed behind Yang. Weiss was sitting on the bed behind Ruby, keeping her worried gaze on Ruby, as Blake stood, leaning on the doorframe, Zwei sitting casually by her feet. Ruby shook her head. "No, I'm not sure, but…Yang, look at you."

Yang glanced down, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't feel much different."

Blake rolled her eyes. "You can't see your face. Your skin is pale and clammy, and your eyes are red; not your semblance red. Don't pretend you don't feel like shit." Zwei let out a bark of agreement, making Blake smile indulgently down at him as he panted.

Yang looked away from Blake. "I know, but…it's my payment, for being stupid for the past eight years. I gotta get through this and I _will_ , I promise. Just gotta stay away from it, right? I can do this; I know I can."

"But it's hurting you! If I do this, it can help! And it can help Pyrrha, and Jaune, and Nora and especially Weiss!"

"But it could hurt _you_ to do this!" Weiss cut in, glaring at the back of Ruby's head.

Ruby flung her arms out from her sides in an expressive gesture. "Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But I want to do this. For the first time in a long damned time, I _want_ to do something, and I don't want to let my illness stop me. I'm not going to, not this time. I'm going to go there, I'm going to convince them to send what we need, and I'm going to make m-my…my…" Ruby stuttered for a moment, before she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, clenching her fists at her side. Shoulders shaking, she snapped her eyes open. "Make my mom proud! I can do this."

"Mom's already proud of you," Yang replied quietly, but nonetheless she pulled out the pack. "I know she is. I know she always was. And so is Dad, and Uncle Qrow." Yang reached into the pack and pulled out a small red bundle of cloth, slowly unfurling it into the tattered cloak it was. "And so am I, Ruby." Yang took a step forward, holding it up before her, letting Ruby see it as she approached.

Ruby's entire body was shaking, blood trickling down from her lip where she'd bitten through it. She was breathing rapidly, her gaze locked on the cloak, fingernails digging into her palms. Yang waited patiently for Ruby to move, but Ruby broke her gaze from the cloak to look at Yang. Eyes wide and pleading, Yang realized what she wanted.

Yang stepped around behind Ruby, and slowly wrapped the cloak around Ruby's shoulders, clipping it in place with the tarnished silvery rose pin. As Yang took a step back, Ruby's shakes eased, her breathing slowly fading back to normal.

Somewhere inside her, Ruby had thought this moment would terrify her, but instead, it filled her with a sense of warmth. Even after so long, she could breathe in the scent of roses that had become indelibly linked to the cloak after she wore it for so long. She could feel every touch of the fabric as the tattered edges brushed against her legs. She could feel that sense of familiarity and nostalgia, along with the bittersweet reminder she had always felt whenever she had put the cloak one, the reminder her mother was no longer with her. But this cloak, it had been her link to her mom, her promise and her belief that she could live up to the hero she knew her mother was.

It wasn't a stranger. This cloak was home. Ruby opened her eyes, looking around at her teammates, her family, and realized with a start…all of this was home. Home wasn't Vale, or Patch, or Beacon. Home wasn't the deserts of Vacuo, wasn't the wilds, wasn't the rebuilt Atlas. Her home was no place, no building or object. No, Ruby's home was here…with her friends. With the people she loved. As she felt Zwei press up against her leg, letting out a huff as he plopped down by her feet, as Ruby looked into the worried gaze of the three women she loved more than she knew she could, she knew. Her home was here, and she'd do whatever she had to do to protect her home.

Maybe her mind would rebel on her again by the time she got to Mistral. Maybe she'd lose it without them beside her. But she didn't care. She knew what her mission was, what she wanted to do, and what she _could_ do. Ruby reached behind her and grasped the grip on Crescent Rose, hanging on her back where she'd placed it before she'd asked for the cloak. With only a moments pause to consider, she spun it out from behind her, activating it's mecha-shift to bring it to its full form.

Slamming the butt of Crescent Rose's shaft into the ground, Ruby stood up straight, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, 38! Gosh, this story has been so well received its still such a strange feeling for me. But we are much closer to the end, I promise you all! Only a few more chapters to go! With that said, hope you enjoy this one. :)

Ruby's knee jiggled nervously as she sat on the airship bench, her back against the wall. She worried at her lip, trying to keep her breathing calm and steady to mirror Ren's stillness. Ren took a deep breath, before letting a small smile cross his face. He turned towards the front of the craft. "Raine, would you mind sliding the privacy wall closed?"

"Something the matter?" Raine's voice called back.

"Nothing to be worried about, I'd just like to speak to Ruby alone is all," came Ren's reply.

"Not a problem," Raine said as she pressed a button on the dashboard. The door between the cockpit and the central area of the Bullhead slid closed with a hiss of air, leaving Ren and Ruby alone. Ruby glanced nervously at Ren.

"Relax…I know this is difficult, but trust me when I say, they'll love you. You don't know how many people wonder where team RWBY is…hell, they get excited enough in Mistral when Pyrrha joins me," Ren said in a quiet voice.

"You don't take Nora or Jaune with you?" Ruby asked.

Ren shook his head slowly. "Jaune has…well, had, now…a tough time with travel. And he didn't want people to see him like that. Nora, we were a bit concerned about her losing it, so she stays behind. Hopefully, soon…she'll be safer."

"I…I want to know, what did you have to do for Nora? To fix her?" Ruby kept her eyes on the floor as she asked, tangling and untangling her fingers.

Ren sighed deeply. "The problem that she had…well, she's fortunate she's a huntress. There is a medication that can help the brain repair itself from the sort of damage she had, and make no mistake Ruby, mental illnesses _do_ cause damage to the brain. But the medication only works on those with strong Aura's, or someone who has someone else help them with their Aura through transfers."

Ruby looked up at Ren, eyes wide. "Does…does this mean we can help Weiss too?"

Ren shrugged. "If we have enough medicine, possibly. It still takes years, and she can't miss a dose, but with enough work, it's possible. That's part of why we've come."

"What's the other part?"

"I wanted you to see what you've done to the world, since you secluded yourself in Vacuo," Ren replied calmly.

Ruby blinked, before she looked away from Ren and sighed. "So you mean you want me to see what I fucked up, that it?"

Ren placed his hand gently on Ruby's shoulder and squeezed it, talking in a low, soft voice. "No. I want you to see the thousands of children like Lily who think of you as a hero. I want you to see the grandmother who got another decade with her grandchildren because of you. I want you to see the father who thought he lost his children and his husband, but didn't, because of you. I want you to see a bustling city, filled with thousands of people who had another chance thanks to your efforts. I want you to remember that, even though Cinder took down Atlas too, her plan was originally to take down all four kingdoms, and Vacuo and Mistral have you to thank, more than anyone on JNPR, anyone else on RWBY, more than Ozpin or Glynda or Ironwood. I want you to see what it is I see every time I see you, and one of the many reasons I will always trust you and believe in you."

Ren released Ruby's shoulder, his gaze turning from her to stare at the wall before him. Arms clasped in his lap, he continued. "I had my doubts, back when Blake claimed she knew you lived. I had further doubts when we found Weiss and Yang; I was the one who found Weiss, did you know that? I saw her at what I suspect was her worst…tired, dirty, and fully gripped by the monsters that haunted her inside her own mind. I had trouble and was concerned, worried that the Project was in danger, but then Ozpin asked me a single question."

Ruby gulped, her voice quavering. "What was it?"

Ren smiled. "He asked me if I still cared for team RWBY. And it was like a fire went off within me. I snapped at him, of course I did, how could he ask me that? Well, it was quite the wakeup call…reminding me that you were my friends, that you were people I could believe in, even as damaged as you were. And you kept reminding me…you fixed Jaune. He was a broken man, Ruby. He put on a brave face, but I could see he felt lesser, felt he was a burden on us. You saved him. You saved him, just as you've saved others. You have a 'saving people thing', as Nora once put it."

"I just…I just don't want people to lose the people they love. That's all," Ruby whispered.

"That's a good thing, Ruby."

Ruby shrugged. "Ren, are you sure Weiss and Yang will be okay, with me being gone like this?"

Ren arched an eyebrow. "That wasn't an abrupt subject change at all."

"I'm just worried, okay? Weiss isn't doing too well right now, and she agreed to sign things over, and that worries me too, and- "

"Ruby, deep breaths," Ren instructed, cutting her off as she began to speak faster and more panicked. Ruby shut up, trying to take in longer breaths and listening to Ren's instructions. "Nora is keeping an eye on Weiss, and Jaune and Blake and taking care of Yang. It'll be fine, we won't even be gone long. It's a day's trip to Mistral, we'll need to stay only a day or two, and then a day back. It'll be alright, Ruby."

"I know, but…I'm…I'm scared, Ren."

Ren's heart broke a little at the quiver in Ruby's voice. "I know how you're feeling. I felt the same with Nora. While we aren't together like you and Weiss are, she's still the most important person in the world to me."

Ruby looked up at Ren and blinked. "You're not?"

Ren chuckled. "I'm not interested in dating, or relationships for that matter. She can be a bit cuddly though; not that I mind. She is my best friend."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense."

"My point stands though. I am worried for Nora every time I have to leave her, but Ruby? This is the best chance she has. And the same goes for Weiss, Yang, Jaune, and Pyrrha too. And so many of the people in the reclaimed zone. We won't be gone long, and our friends will keep Weiss safe. I promise," Ren said reassuringly.

Ruby took a deep breath. "Alright. I did want to ask you though; did you give Weiss the paperwork already?"

"Yes, but I gave her two different copies. She said she wanted to sign it over, but I want her to have the option…she doesn't have to sign it, she can just give us permission if she wants. I'd rather she thinks on it. I know her name means a lot to her."

Ruby shrugged. "Yeah, but she doesn't really care about it anymore. She just wants to live."

Ren made a noncommittal noise. "I suppose. Well, I think I should prepare you for what we'll be dealing with." Ruby arched an eyebrow in a silent gesture to continue. "There will be a large gathering waiting for us to land. Word has spread that Ruby Rose will be coming to Mistral. The people in front will most likely be the 'nobles'. I hate that word, but that's what they fancy themselves as, some sort of higher class. Those are the type of people Weiss probably dealt with on a daily basis back in Atlas. They spend most of their time lying and playing elaborate manipulation games with their friends…and I use the word friends very loosely here."

Ruby's face twitched at the thought, but she remained silent and let Ren continue. "Beyond them, you'll see people who do consider you a hero, both Mistralian citizens and refugees from Atlas and Vale. I know you don't like crowds, so we'll try to avoid them, but they will be very excited to see you. We'll have to wade through them to reach the Council Chambers, which is where we'll plead our case. There are three councilors. Crystal is one of them sympathetic to our cause. She's the one I contact regularly. Jett is against us every time, and I've yet to figure out how to convince him to our side. He's not a bad person, but he focuses on Mistral first over all other issues. It all comes down to Slate. He's the one who looks at it based mostly on merit. But he's also a huge fan of yours, which is another part of the reason I'm glad you chose to come along. Hopefully you'll be able to convince him better than I."

"I'll try, I guess."

"Trust me, Ruby. We can help a lot of people like this, and you'll be making a lot of people happy for appearing in public."

Ruby gave a sad smile. "Yeah…that's the important part."

Ren flinched. "I know…I feel like I'm using you, asking you to do this- "

"You didn't ask. I offered. It's not on you, Ren. I chose to do this. I want to help, and if I can use this weird fame you tell me I have to help, I'll do it."

The door to the cockpit slid open, Raine half-turning in her seat to look back at her passengers. "Sorry to interrupt, but we're in Mistral airspace. Where we setting down this time?"

"The Council Chambers courtyard. We're making an entrance," Ren replied. Raine nodded, her hands already in motion on the dashboard before her.

Ruby took a deep breath and stood up from the bench. She straightened her cloak, shaking for a moment as she caught the glimpse of red before she clenched her fists shut, controlling her shudders. She reached out to grab Crescent Rose, clipping it to her back. "Okay. I'm ready."

* * *

 

Ruby had anticipated many things. She'd anticipated the heat, but her time in Vacuo made it a non-issue. She'd anticipated a grandiose courtyard, having seen bits and pieces of Mistral when she was younger, but this was a bit much. But she could handle this, this wasn't too bad…although the gold lined walkway was really over the top she felt. And she had believed Ren when he spoke of the crowds.

But she had not anticipated the sheer effusiveness of their greeting, or the number of people. The 'nobles', pompous bastards that they were, she had expected. But the sheer wave of people cheering, happy to see her, smiles on their faces was beyond what she'd expected. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ren smiling, shaking hands with numerous people, a kind word for every child who came up to him with stars in their eyes. A tug on her cloak had her glancing down, seeing a young boy, staring up at her.

His wide eyes reminded her so much of Lily, making her heart skip a beat as he smiled a gap-toothed smile at her. "Are you really Ruby Rose, the huntress?"

Another glance at Ren and Ruby realized something, something he'd been trying to express to her back in Atlas that she hadn't quite grasped, not until this moment. Whatever she thought of herself didn't matter, at least not right now. Right now, this child before her, all these people around the dais the Bullhead had landed on, they saw her as something more than an ordinary huntress. The loss of Atlas and Vale had stolen hope from the people of Remnant, broken down people's faith in the future.

But in this child's eyes, she could see it…he had hope. Everyone surrounding them had hope. These were people who had ran from Atlas and Vale, who had lost everything they'd ever known, but here, they had hope. Even the nobles, they looked genuinely happy to see the two of them. Ruby had never stuck around in one place when she was in Vacuo to see the effects she left behind after removing the Grimm threat. Here though, she could see it. They had hope, they had faith, and they had put it all in her.

The weight of this responsibility weighed on her shoulders more than she had imagined. She worried she would buckle underneath it, as the air became oppressive around her, but then Ren's eyes met hers. Silver met magenta, and in his eyes Ruby could see he knew how she felt, but she could see an inner strength within him. She realized he'd made a choice. A choice to be what the people needed, to be whatever they needed to see and hold up as an ideal.

With that moment of clarity, Ruby swore to herself she'd do the same. She said she wanted to help, and this was something she could do. Before she'd left Atlas, she had resolved to be what she'd always wanted to be. Her cloak was with her, her team beside her in spirit, and her friend next to her supporting her. Reaching down inside herself, she grasped at a part of her she had thought lost eight years ago.

Allowing a cocky grin to spread across her face, she went to one knee so she was eye to eye with the boy before her. "Why yes, I am. Wanna see the proof?" He nodded happily, a massive smile stretching across his face as he practically shook in anticipation. Raising her eyes, she could see a crowd of children gathered down below them, parents scattered about keeping an eye on both the kids, and her. She could see the same hope and excitement in the adult's eyes, maybe more muted than the child, but still the same general feeling.

Ruby stood in a smooth motion, using one hand to flare her cloak out. Reaching behind her, she gripped Crescent Rose's handle, but paused for one brief second. All eyes had gone to hers, even the nobles silent in anticipation. Ren looked at her, a small, secretive smile crossing his face as he gave the most miniscule of nods.

Ruby drew her scythe, allowing it to unfold in all its glory in but a moment. She slammed the bottom of the haft into the ground, the black blade gleaming in the sunlight, as she stood tall, her back straight, mirroring the pose she'd taken back in the barracks before she'd left. Audible gasps were heard as her scythe appeared, the children taking a step back, fear warring with their excitement.

Ruby waited for just a second, before she began spinning her scythe casually in one hand, allowing it to slowly rotate around her hand. Casually, she sped it up, internally grinning as everyone went silent, following the slowly spinning scythe. Over and over it spun, faster and faster, until she had to add her second hand in to keep it stable. She began twirling it in front of her, making an intricate figure eight pattern in the air, before she began to twist with it.

She began spinning in a circle, still keeping the scythe spinning, allowing her cloak to flare out even more as she twisted the air around her. She began slipping the scythe behind her back to add another layer to her intricate dance, enjoying how everyone's jaws were dropping. She hid her smirk behind her movements. This little trick had always made her team smile back at Beacon too. She'd never been much of a dancer, but this...well, she really couldn't say it was useful in combat. It was a little dance she'd made for herself when she was younger, just a way to keep the flexibility in place, a form of training…but she couldn't deny, it looked cool.

Finally, she released Crescent Rose entirely at the top of its arc, sending it up into the air in a blur. Gathering herself and crouching lower to the ground, Ruby blasted upwards in a flurry of petals, shooting up past Crescent Rose. As her scythe reached the apex of its fall, Ruby turned herself back around and flung herself back down. She snatched her scythe out of the air as she passed, slamming into the dais in a cloud of petals, her cape fluttering behind her as she landed in a crouch, Crescent Rose extended out from her left.

Silence rang out for a brief moment, before loud cheers rose from the audience, a deafening blast of sound. Ruby reverted her scythe into its travel form and clipped it onto her back, smiling brightly at the people. Maybe she couldn't love herself the way her friends and family did, maybe she couldn't see herself how these people did, but she could be proud she made them happy. She gave them something to cheer for, and she was alright with that.

The doors to the Council Chamber, two massive stone doors, rumbled open, a marching series of Mistralian soldiers coming out in two perfect lines. The crowd parted instantly, allowing room for Ruby and Ren to walk towards the chamber. The two of them matched steps, Ruby flushed slightly as Ren gave her a wink and a quick grin. They continued down the walkway, Ruby waving slightly at the people who waved at her energetically, finding herself a bit embarrassed at this point. Her prior enthusiasm tempered now, she fought not to blush at the reactions, even noticing how the guards were eyeing her and Ren with respect.

They walked forward, entering the two doors, the sound of them closing behind them and blocking out the light from behind them, leaving them in the Council Chambers building. Ruby took a deep breath…this was what she was here for.

* * *

 

"Ren, it is so good to see you again," a woman with brilliant red hair said as she reached out to take his hand. Ren shook it softly, smiling at her.

"You as well, Councilor Crystal. Councilor Jett, Councilor Slate, thank you all for agreeing to meet me once again."

A tall, gaunt man with dark gray hair smiled thinly, as a shorter, darkly skinned man bowed. "You are always welcome here, Huntsman Ren. But may I ask who this is?" the shorter man said, peering over at Ruby's still form.

"My name is Ruby. Ruby Rose," Ruby said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

The eyebrows on the man she assumed must be Slate rose, the shorter man she had assumed was Jett peering at her curiously. "So it is true…you are still alive. Tell me, Huntress, where have you been since the fall of Atlas?"

"Jett!" Crystal admonished, narrowing her eyes at him.

Jett shrugged. "It is not meant to be a reprimand; I am merely curious. We had heard rumors, of a scythe wielder protecting Vacuo…I just wondered if it was you."

"Y-yes. I was in Vacuo," Ruby said nervously.

Jett inclined his head. "I see. Well, allow me to say it is an honor to meet you, Huntress. We have heard much of you, and you have saved many a person. Slate, you could try greeting people sometime."

Slate let out a snort of laughter, a slight tilt in his lip indicating the beginnings of a smile. "I was waiting on you to finish blabbering, Jett."

"I swear you two are like bickering children. Is this really the first impression you want to give her? Is this your first visit to Mistral, Miss Rose?" Crystal asked.

Ruby flinched at being called by her last name, but took a deep breath to steady herself. "No, I ran a few missions here before the Fall. But I never came into the main city, it was mostly on the outskirts."

Crystal nodded. "Yes, Beacon students used to train here often," her voice trailed off, an uncomfortable silence coming over the room for a moment.

Slate broke the silence. "Let us not sit here and reminisce over the horrors of the past. Mistral wishes to move forward, and I understand the Project does as well. What brings you here, Ren?"

"We need more supplies, especially medicine. We simply are running unacceptably low," Ren began.

"Ren, I support your efforts, but Mistral cannot afford to continuously give and give without recompense! The bulk of the refugees have settled here, and we are already strained to the breaking point!" Jett jumped in.

"Jett, we cannot leave them without help! That is not how Mistralian's act when it comes to the people!" Crystal cut in.

"Please, Councilors!" Slate stepped between them, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace. "Let us hear Ren out before we being deciding the future."

"Thank you, Councilor," Ren said, bowing slightly. "I know Mistral has accepted the bulk of the refugees and I understand it is a strain on your economy and supplies themselves. I know this. But we cannot afford to simply let the Project fail. If we lose what foothold we have now, we will never get it back, much less Vale."

"Vale is a fool's errand. The kingdom is gone. I do not believe we can retrieve it, it's simply not possible," Jett said.

"It's not," Ruby spoke softly, cutting off any further argument. The four others turned to look at her.

"Why do you say so, Huntress?" Slate asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Vale is more than just a kingdom. Vale is a promise. The same promise Atlas is, the same promise Vacuo and Mistral have been. They are a promise to the people of Remnant that the Grimm are _not_ our masters, _not_ our fate. Remnant belongs to _us_ …not to the Grimm. Not to the people who have the darkest hearts and souls. Remnant as a whole is our world, and we deserve to have peace, to have our homes back. Vale belongs to us…not to Cinder, not to the Grimm, not to some psychopath's dark dream."

Slate pursed his lips, before gazing at Ruby with piercing green eyes. "Tell me Huntress, why are you even here?"

Ruby paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She knew this decision could come back to haunt her, could destroy everything she was trying to rebuild, but she was tired of running. She believed in the Project, believed in what Ozpin wanted to accomplish, and she could see this was her chance to do her part. Ruby lifted her eyes to stare straight into Slate's, her tone calm and even.

"I am here because I will be the leader of the invasion force into Vale. I am here because my team and I will be the first ones into the kingdom, and the last to leave. I am here because my team needs help, the Project needs help, _people_ need help. Because we will be taking back what is ours…but we can only do it as a united front. We can only do it _together_ , as one people, one force, one voice. Because I believe that you can help the people I love, and that you deep down want to help the world as much as I do."

"Well spoken, Huntress," Slate said softly with a small smile. Jett looked up at Ruby for a moment, a pensive expression on his face. The two men shared a glance, before both turned to look at Crystal, a smug expression plastered on her face. Jett rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before he nodded at Slate.

"You shall have your supplies. And you shall have the best of our soldiers for the invasion of Vale, every one of our best warriors will be by your side," Slate said.

"Thank you, thank you!" Ruby said gleefully. "You have no idea what this means to me!"

"We will be repaying your kindness soon. We have gained permission to reopen the Schnee mines. Dust will begin flowing as soon as we can rebuild the processes," Ren promised.

"What? How?" Jett asked, flabbergasted.

"Weiss is awesome, that's how!" Ruby said, smiling widely.

"She gave permission? A generous woman," Slate said contemplatively.

Ruby's smile went soft, her voice quiet. "Yeah…she is. She's great."

"I am glad to hear that the mines will be reopened. This may very well be the turning point in the battle to rebuild after the Fall. Even you, Jett, have to admit this is a good thing," Crystal said teasingly.

"Hah! I will happily eat my own words if it means the mines begin production again. Dust is what we need more than anything, and our own reserves were getting low. This is excellent news."

Slate grinned. "Well, I think that concludes negotiations."

"Yes…thank you for your time, Councilor's," Ren began, bowing deeply, Ruby belatedly following.

"Wait now, no need to leave yet. Your Bullhead is still refueling. Please, join us for dinner. I insist!" Crystal interjected.

Ruby shared a glance with Ren. Ren shrugged. "The food _is_ good here."

Ruby nodded, feeling the tension that had been building up inside her fading slightly at the knowledge that they would have what they needed. "That sounds great, thank you."


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long wait eh? Sorry about that, had some problems with this chapter. The next one won't be nearly as long a wait, because...it's either the last, or the second to last, haven't decided how I plan to split it yet, but I know EXACTLY what happens. So, without further ado...chapter 39.

"Tired?" Ren asked, arching an eyebrow at Ruby as she sighed deeply, her head leaning against the wall of the Bullhead.

Ruby gave a tired smile in return. "I didn't think there would be so many people…"

"I told you, they remember who saved their lives eight years ago. Even the kids grew up hearing stories about you, Weiss, Yang, and Blake. At this point they've already gotten all the autographs out of me they can," Ren said with a chuckle.

"I just…when you opened the door after we finished dinner, and all those people…it was overwhelming."

"I'm sorry I put you through that, but I really wanted you to see what you are to the people who you saved," Ren replied quietly. "I know it's not going to fix what's hurting you inside, but I thought it might give you more strength to fight."

Ruby looked at Ren with an inquisitive look. "How do you know about…well, my pain?"

"Jaune spoke to me shortly after you and he met again. He was…worried."

Ruby sighed. "I didn't want him to worry. I didn't want any of you to worry."

"We're your friends. Of course we worry. And Jaune, well…of all of us, he probably took it the hardest, when we heard you were gone. He told me he always looked up to you as the sort of leader he wanted to be, and he always felt grateful for all the help you gave him- "

"Help _I_ gave _him_? Does that include the time I punched him out the window for hitting on Weiss?" Ruby said with an arched eyebrow.

Ren snorted. "Let's be honest, he deserved it for not listening when Weiss said no. He knows that. Besides, that only bruised his pride."

"Pyrrha wasn't too happy with me for it."

"She got over it. Besides, she got what she wanted in the end, Jaune got his head out of his ass. Sometimes you need a tough lesson or two to grow up."

Ruby looked down at the floor with a rueful smile. "Yeah…a tough lesson."

Ren placed one hand on Ruby's shoulder. "What you went through…honestly, what _we_ went through, no one should have to. But we did. Maybe it's time you forgave yourself for what was outside of your control."

"It doesn't work that way, Ren. I know what you're saying is good and sensible, but…I can't stop thinking this way," Ruby whispered in reply.

Ren sighed. "Yeah, I know. I learned that with Nora long ago. I guess…I just don't like seeing you guys hurting."

"You're good people, Ren. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently," Ruby said with a small, sad smile.

"I'm some type of people I suppose."

Ruby nudged Ren's shoulder with her own. "Stop that. You are. I'm glad you're still around."

"Fine, fine. I'll accept that. But you need to accept we're glad you're back, too."

Ruby's smile fell slightly, but she nodded. "I'll try. That's all I can give you."

"That's good enough. You should rest, Ruby. Long flight back," Ren remarked, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the Bullhead wall.

"You always know just what to say to a girl," Ruby said in a teasing tone, rolling her eyes at Ren's mothering. Still, she listened, relaxing against the wall and closing her own eyes. She couldn't wait to get back to Atlas…and back to Weiss.

* * *

"Weiss, I promise, they'll be fine. They are already on their way back, they'll be back very shortly, Ren called me and told me!" Nora exclaimed, waving her hands in front of Weiss.

Weiss' paced back and forth, arms latched behind her back. "But what if something happens? What if a Grimm shows up, a Nevermore? Or a _Drake?!_ Dust, what if they pass over the ocean and a Leviathan shows up, it could shoot them straight out of the air! Or what if the Bullhead runs out of fuel! Oh Dust Ruby why did you have to leave you could be hurt she needs me I need to- "

" _Weiss!_ " Pyrrha said in a commanding tone, reaching out to grab Weiss' arm, halting her pacing. Weiss nearly ripped her arm out of Pyrrha's before realizing who it was, staring up at Pyrrha with wide, unfocused eyes. Pyrrha modulated her tone to a quieter one, speaking softly. "Weiss, I know it's hard, but none of that is happening. Don't listen to your worries. They are coming back and we're right here with you, nothing is going to happen. I give you my word." Pyrrha waited to see if Weiss would nod, but a sudden wave of dizziness made her stumble, a cold, metallic hand gripping her shoulder and steadying her.

"Pyrrha, you need to sit down. C'mon, sit over here next to Yang," Jaune guided Pyrrha over to the couch Yang was sprawled on, Blake seated beside Yang and dabbing at her brow as she winced.

"No, Jaune, I need to help Weiss first!" Pyrrha insisted, but she could barely resist Jaune as he led her to the couch.

"Pyrrha, listen to Jaune, you're ill just like Yang is. Let us handle Weiss," Blake cut in. She glanced down at Yang's pained expression, worry in her amber eyes. Carefully laying another cold cloth on Yang's overheated forehead, Blake leaned down and spoke quietly. "Yang, can you hang on for a bit? I need to help settle Weiss down."

Yang nodded, pausing as it made her nausea worse. She fought against her stomach, barely settling the queasiness roiling in it. "Yeah, babe, do what you gotta do. Need Ice Queen to chill before Ruby comes in here freaking out."

Blake rolled her eyes, before climbing to her feet. Glancing over where Nora was trying to hold Weiss back from marching out the door to the airship landing zone, Blake inserted herself between the two women, pulling a picture out of her pocket. "Weiss? Does this look familiar?" Holding it up before Weiss, Blake waited with bated breath as the fog in Weiss' eyes faded, her eyes going wide as she stared at the picture Blake was holding.

"B-Blake? You…you found it?" Weiss' voice quavered.

Blake nodded. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, but yes. We found it. Here, take it."

Weiss entire being was focused on the picture Blake placed daintily in her hands, her eyes welling up as she stared down at it. She lifted a trembling hand up, barely brushing one finger across the face of a smiling child Winter. A tremulous smile crossed her face, lip quivering slightly as the hands holding the photo shook. Weiss gulped, before lifting her gaze to look up at Blake. "Thank you." Weiss turned and looked at Yang. "Both of you. Thank you for this."

Blake put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, but was surprised when Weiss suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around Blake's waist, hugging her close. Blake froze for a moment at the uncharacteristic reaction, before she relaxed and returned the hug. Weiss released the hug, a smile crossing her face as she looked over at Yang. "I'd hug you too, but I fear you may vomit all over me if I did."

"Can't say I wouldn't, Princess," Yang replied, her face going paler as her eyes widened. She reached over and grabbed the trashcan Blake had placed next to her, instantly emptying the contents of her stomach into it. The others looked away, Weiss looking queasy herself as Blake went to Yang's side, gently rubbing her back.

"Huh. Wasn't expecting this kind of homecoming," came the voice from the door. Everyone looked up to see Ruby and Ren, standing side by side in the doorway. Ren was calmly hanging up his jacket as Ruby barely managed to avoid being knocked over by Weiss' near tackle hug, her arms automatically wrapping around Weiss' shoulders. "Oof!" she exclaimed, taking a step back as Weiss squeezed her tightly. "Okay, guess you missed me."

Weiss sighed into Ruby's shirt, her back slowly going less rigid. "Dolt. Of course I did. We all did."

"I was only gone a couple of days," Ruby gently reminded Weiss.

Weiss glanced up at Ruby, blue eyes seeking silver as she spoke softly. "You were gone for eight years. Even a 'few days' is too much now."

"Aww how swee…yurk!" Yang tried to tease, but had to bury her head in the basket again. Pyrrha gulped, fanning herself as she tried to control her own rebellious stomach.

"Yang, just shut up," Blake admonished with a small smile to show she wasn't trying to be rude. Yang sighed as she leaned back onto the couch once more and nodded weakly.

Ruby gently removed Weiss' arms, wrapping one arm around Weiss' shoulder and turning to face the room. "So, we got what we wanted. Bercilak already went through it. Doc gave me this for you guys," Ruby held up the small plastic bag at her side. "So…whose ready to do drugs?" Ruby's joke was met with eye rolls and a flick on her forehead by Weiss. Ruby chuckled, before opening the bag.

* * *

"So…aren't I supposed to feel something?" Weiss asked, holding the pill bottle in her hand and carefully reading the instructions.

Nora flopped down next to Weiss, sprawling out on the other end of the sofa with her hands behind her head. "Nah, you don't really notice it for a while. And it doesn't really go away, fully. Doc told me even after I finish my pills I'll still…you know…here them, but it'll be less, and it'll be easier to ignore. Lifetime thing, I guess." Nora put on a strained smile.

Weiss gulped. "I guess I shouldn't have expected it to be easy."

Ruby sat on the other side of Weiss, one arm wrapping around Weiss' shoulder again. Weiss immediately leaned into Ruby's side, sighing softly as she placed her head on Ruby's shoulder. Ruby gazed around the room, taking note of how Ren had seated himself on the arm of the sofa beside Nora, how Jaune was sitting with Pyrrha's head in his lap, how Blake was brushing Yang's hair softly. Ruby took in a deep breath.

"Guys?" As the other people in the room looked at Ruby, she took in another, steadying breath. "I decided…I'm gonna lead the army. The invasion of Vale, I'm gonna do it." She raised up her hand to forestall any responses. "But…I don't wanna do it without you. More than that, I want to be honest with all of you. So…I'm going to tell you the truth, about how I feel."

Ruby released Weiss, clasping both hands in her lap as she shuffled nervously, before speaking into the deathly silent room. "I feel like I'm a failure at everything. It was building the whole time during the Fall, but when that couple died…I was _so close_ to them! I needed to help them, I needed that knowledge that I was doing what I swore I'd do since I was a little girl! But they…they died. And I guess, I just didn't want it anymore. I didn't want any of it. Everything hurt. Everything was pain. I felt so lost, so alone, even knowing you guys weren't far I couldn't _feel_ it anymore. I could only feel the pain, in my chest, like my heart was being squeezed, like my lungs couldn't draw in enough air. I couldn't think, I just had to…run."

Ruby lifted her eyes to the ceiling, refusing to meet anyone else's gaze as she kept speaking. "But I guess I couldn't stop hunting…ended up in Vacuo in only a few weeks. Traveling alone, it was easy enough to get there. And I remember, first day in the desert, nearly dead of dehydration and there was…there was this little caravan, just a couple wagons, being chased by a Deathstalker. At first I thought I was hallucinating…first people I'd seen in weeks. But the screams, they kept ripping at me, reminding me of the damned background of the cities during the Fall…and I had to act. That's how it all started, the 'Grimm Reaper'…just me reacting. I didn't even remember doing it, to be honest."

Ruby let out a deep sigh. "I don't even recall when I started hurting myself with the knife. Just one day, I kept thinking, 'I'd be better off dead'. I kept thinking I deserved to die, but at the same time…I was scared of it. And it was just a slip, I swear, I was just messing with the knife, flipping it around, but then…it got me. But the pain, it made things…fade slightly. And somewhere inside, it felt like I had earned that. Guess I just kinda went downhill from there. Sometimes I'd just…fade out. Like I wasn't here, like I couldn't see or feel or anything, and I'd wake up and more scars would be there."

Ruby turned to look at Weiss, reaching for her hand and gripping it tightly. "They didn't go away, those feelings. The voices, like a constant pounding in the back of my mind, they are there. But I don't want to belong to them anymore. I don't want to be ruled by them. I…I want you. All of you, I want my family. I want my life back. And I think…I think the first step for me is to do what I do best…to fight. To destroy Grimm. To take back what was once ours. That's why I've made this choice."

The room was silent for a moment, before the silence was broken. "Three years ago I lost my mind. I nearly destroyed the Reclamation, and the entire Project as a whole," Nora's voice was barely a whisper, but everyone could hear her perfectly.

"Nora, no one blames you for that, you don't- "Ren began, before Nora cut him off heatedly.

"I _do_ , Ren! I need to say it. I need to admit what happened! If Ruby can find the courage to talk, then so can I!" Ren bowed his head in silence acknowledgement, leaving Nora to speak. Nora sat upright, hugging herself as she spoke. "I kept seeing these…these _things_ , in the night. I kept thinking they were some weird new type of Grimm only I could see, but then they started talking. Started whispering to me, how they would take Ren from me, take Pyrrha and Jaune from me, like they took you guys. They kept whispering in my ears, telling me how I'd be alone, afraid, at their mercy, and I wanted them to _die_. Dust, I wanted them to die so badly! I'd swing my hammer but they wouldn't be hit, they'd just come back, they wouldn't _stop!_ " Nora took in a deep breath, her shoulders shaking.

"I knew the Reclamation had weaponry. I knew it had a cannon, a massive particle cannon that I overheard Ren talking to Ozpin about. I thought if my hammer wouldn't work…maybe the cannon would. I snuck aboard late at night, and…I activated it." Nora looked up, into the wide eyes of team RWBY, only Blake refusing to meet her gaze. Nora kept her gaze locked on Weiss', seeing the understanding in them. "The only reason I failed was the cannon would not fire…almost no one in the city knows what happened, besides Ozpin and you guys. I guess Penny is probably what stopped me in the end. But imagine, without her, what could have happened? That cannon…it could take out a Drake in one shot. What would happen if it hit the project zone right in the center…?"

"I'm not sure I'm any better. I didn't have a cannon, but my weapon of mass destruction is within me," Weiss commented quietly. "I can summon anything I had a hand in the defeat of. The Elder Sandworm, Giant Nevermore, Goliath's…and sometimes I can feel the Drake within me, although I've never had the courage to try to control it. Neither my father, nor my sister, ever could summon something so large, so powerful. Going back in my family history, no one managed to master the summoning the way I have. I suppose my eight-year insanity bender had some benefits," Weiss let out a humorless laugh at the tail end of her admission, before continuing.

"But I saw and heard those things too, but instead of talking about taking from me, they promised to bring things _back_ to me…all I had to do was kill every single Grimm, and Ruby would be back. She'd be mine. Possessive, I know."

"I like you being possessive," Ruby commented with a smile.

Weiss gave a sad smile in return. "Not this kind of possessive. You wouldn't have enjoyed this. I still feel that, in me. It worries me, that I'll go too far one day. I have the power within me to level a city by myself, if I summon enough Grimm. That's dangerous to be in the hands of someone who isn't crazy, much less me."

"You're not crazy, just damaged. We'll help you," Blake spoke for the first time. "That's what a team does. That's what a family does."

"Hey think of it this way Princess, at least yours was internal. Not like me. I fell into the bottle on my own, nobody shoved me down there," came Yang's reply. With shaking arms, she shoved herself into a half seated position, gasping. "My reason isn't something that makes a lotta sense to be honest. I just didn't want to feel anymore. I wanted to be able to drink away my problems, to sleep, and to not think about the fact I had no family left. Think about how I failed to protect my little sister."

"Yang…" Ruby began, reaching one hand out towards Yang.

Yang lifted a trembling hand, trying to reach Ruby's, but Blake's cool pressure on her wrist made her turn her gaze to the Faunus beside her. Blake reached around Yang's back and lifted her gently, guiding Yang's hand into Ruby's. Ruby gripped Yang's hand tightly, Yang trying to squeeze back as she panted lightly, giving Blake a thankful smile. Taking a steadying breath, Yang continued. "I became a worthless drunk, all so I could run away. Thought I was just being like my uncle, but at least Qrow never ran."

Yang fell silent, but Pyrrha's voice cut in. "I'm an alcoholic. That's…the first time I've said it, out loud. I never wanted to admit it, I always said my drinking was under control, but hah. Look at me now, the invincible girl, laid out on the couch because I feel too damned sick to move just from quitting a few days ago. Beaten by a drink. And the reason I started? All because I feel so guilty about you." Pyrrha reached up and brushed her hand over Jaune's cheek, a tear forming in her eye. "If only I had been faster, I could have done- "

"Nothing. You could have done nothing. I knew the risks when I went down there. You can control metal, but a bomb is a chemical reaction, and that one was triggered off of a proximity alert. If it hadn't had been me with my meter-thick Aura, someone else would probably be dead. At least I came out alive. That's something, isn't it?" Jaune replied softly.

"But you never _felt_ like you were alive! Jaune, I _know_ you…I could see it, in your eyes. I could see how you felt. And I just…I wanted to help you but I couldn't. I couldn't do a damn thing…I couldn't help the person I love most in this world. I lost my best friend, I lost half my family, and I couldn't even help you…" Pyrrha wiped a tear from her eye.

Jaune sighed. "You're right, I didn't feel whole. I was just a burden…I could barely walk. I could barely make it to the fucking bathroom on my own." Jaune clenched his metal fist, a slight crackling noise coming from it as he shook in barely contained rage. "But it was never you I blamed. Not you, not Ren, not Nora, not Blake. Not the rest of RWBY. Not even the White Fang. I blamed _myself_ …if only I had looked more carefully, I wouldn't have ended up like this, this…half man."

"You're not a half-man. You're Jaune Arc, leader of team JNPR…and my friend," Ren said quietly, his eyes meeting Jaune's. Jaune gave Ren a nod, smiling softly at him.

Blake coughed, drawing attention her way. She glanced over at JNPR, and down at Yang, before taking a deep breath. "I need to apologize. I treated you all poorly, especially when I was chasing down every lead I could on my team. And Yang, Weiss…I didn't listen to you after we found you. I got you hurt. I was so _obsessed_ , I was so scared, I couldn't bear the thought of losing all of you, not again. Not when we'd gotten so close. I guess I never got over what happened in the Fall, and I just…took it out on you all. I'm sorry, everyone."

"I doubt anyone here took it personally, Blake," Ren replied. He smiled ruefully. "At least, I didn't. Then again, I tried not to take anything personally. I…I love you all, but Dust you made it difficult at times. I never wanted to become Ozpin's second in command, but he needed someone at his side. But it's so much _pressure_. I nearly crashed the airship once because I could barely sleep. I still barely sleep. Even in this house where I can feel safe, I can't get any rest. It's not as bad as what you all are going through, but I just feel so…stretched thin."

"I don't think it matters who has it 'worse'," Ruby said, making air quotes with her hands when she said 'worse'. "We're all damaged in some way. We all lost something, or someone. And I'm not going to pretend I'm all here myself. But…we're here. Together. In this room, we're together. We're a family…a broken one, but a family nonetheless. I never want to lose you again, but…in two years, the army invades Vale, and I will lead it. I just need to know…will you guys be with me? As my friends, my fellow warriors…as my family?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Blake asked, arching an eyebrow at Ruby.

Ruby took one glance around, seeing the steadfast determination reflected in the eyes of each person in the room, and smiled softly. "Guess that's that."

"Two years, huh?" Yang mused, eyes closing as she lay back on the bed further. "We should probably get to training, eh?"

"In a few weeks. You and Pyrrha need to rest first, recuperate," Jaune said.

Ruby nodded absently. "Few weeks…yeah. That sounds good. We can plan in the meantime. Training, planning…in two years, we go back and take back what's ours. Two years…we go back."


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order to avoid taking up too much space, the bulk of my author's note is down at the bottom. Since this is the final chapter, I simply will say I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you in the next one.

 

* * *

**-Two Years Later-  
**

* * *

The sound of a whetstone grinding against a blade filled the empty room. Ruby was seated cross-legged on the floor, calmly running the stone over Crescent Rose's blade one more time. Carefully wiping off the oil with a rag next to her, she gave the blade a once-over. Nodding, satisfied with her work, she began reassembling Crescent Rose.

As she tightened each bolt, slid each part into place, she let her mind go blank. Just taking comfort in the small actions she was doing, keeping her breathing even and steady. It had been ten years since she had stepped foot in Vale. Two years since she'd returned from her self-imposed exile. Two years since she'd decided to stop letting the voices in her head manipulate her. It had been a long, hard road, one she still was fighting.

She realized early on, it'd never truly go away…her brain itself was damaged, and Aura could only do so much. Modern medicine could only do so much. Even after she'd made her choice, she kept having those days where it was a struggle to even get out of bed, much less train for what was to come today. And she knew she wasn't the only one. She had to watch her beloved fight with the demons that plagued her within, had to watch her sister constantly battle against a desperate desire within her body to drink. Had to watch as one of her oldest friends still had trouble knowing friend from foe in the midst of battle, had to watch someone she looked up to as a warrior fight the same battle as her sister. Had to watch a man who became like her brother to her struggle with his own body.

But perhaps it was worth it, she mused. Maybe they didn't deserve what happened (although it was hard for her to acknowledge that sort of positive thought), but they'd clawed their way out of their individual pits as a team, as a _family_. At times kicking and screaming, other times sobbing, but they'd used each other's strengths to help cover the others weaknesses, insecurities, and pains. They had come so far in only two years, and in Ruby's eyes, they could only go forward…depending on how today went.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door next to her opening. She squinted, the glaring light silhouetting the figure in the doorway. A smile crossed her face as she caught note of the long, white hair, the ice blue eyes gazing warmly down on her. Weiss' smile grew as she caught Ruby just tightening the final bolts on her weapon, before clambering to her feet. Weiss spoke softly. "It's time." Ruby nodded, sweeping her cloak back over her shoulders. Taking Weiss' hand in her own, she stepped outside.

* * *

Ruby wasn't sure she'd ever seen such an array of warriors before in her entire life. Hell, she couldn't think of many stories where such a display had occurred. Standing upon a cliff wall above the outer edge of Vale, her cloak fluttering in the soft breeze, she gazed along the lines beside her.

Hundreds of huntresses and huntsmen were arrayed together, standing shoulder to shoulder along the cliff wall, stretching out on both sides from Ruby. She could see team ABRN farther down, Arslan brushing at Reese's shoulder. Ruby could see the familiar scolding expression on her face as Reese just grinned cockily, giggling at Arslan's obsession with keeping dirt off their clothing. What was left of team FNKI was beside ABRN, only Flynt and Neon remaining. Still, they stood, smiling and joking with the hunters around them, holding whispered conversations and checking gear.

Team CFVY was only a few groups down from Ruby. Velvet was smiling gamely, flinching every so often as engines of Bullheads whirred by, setting down more and more troops in turn behind the assembled hunters, but standing strong. Yatsuhashi and Coco flanked her, reassuring hands on her shoulders as Fox carefully inspected his blades. Team SSSN had come, although Neptune was not in the front lines. As Ruby scanned her eyes over the area, she could see Neptune wishing his team the best, giving Sun a final hug, before he hurried back towards the medical tents gathered further back and set under heavy guard. She spotted Bercilak welcoming Neptune, before handing him a medical kit and sterilization equipment to begin preparing. Scarlet was double checking his Dust supply, making sure everything was ready as he could only fight as artillery still.

Ruby could see more…team's BRNZ, NDGO, and many more she didn't know or were simply solo hunters from the respective kingdoms. Each and every one gathered together, ready to go into a mission _she_ was leading. A mission she had spent two years planning, with her family and friends, with Ozpin. Ruby let her gaze continue along, looking behind her.

She hadn't expected Mistral or Vacuo to send as many as they had. The kingdoms had practically emptied out, leaving only a skeleton guard in each in order to send as many soldiers as they could. She could see Vacuan scouts chatting and drinking with Mistralian Dragoons, could see the few Atlas soldiers who had either survived the Fall or joined in the new army being built hyping themselves up. Further back, she spotted the green raiment marking troops from Vale, the very small veteran contingent who survived the Fall. She hadn't expected them to come, but they had considered it their duty and had objected vociferously at the thought of not being part of the invasion. She couldn't stand in the way of that kind of determination, and had been happy to welcome them into the force.

Bullheads roared overhead, more and more supplies being dropped. The hunters had cleared this staging point out only a few days back, but already the army had built temporary shelter, set up defenses, and begin entrenching themselves in case the fallback position was necessary. Far in the back, Ruby spotted the Reclamation, its engines idling as it waited for the signal. Ruby smirked to herself, knowing that even though Raine was in the pilot's seat, Penny would still be in most of the control.

Turning to her left, Ruby nodded at her sister team, JNPR, standing at the ready next to them. Pyrrha had her arm wrapped around Jaune's waist, her spear held loosely in her other hand as Jaune gazed out over the battlefield before them. Nora was practically vibrating with excitement, her fists clenched around her hammer, sparks flitting off of her as her Semblance was barely being held in check. Ren rolled his eyes indulgently, before her noticed Ruby's gaze. He winked, then grinned and nodded behind Ruby.

Ruby turned around, instantly rolling her own eyes as she caught Yang and Blake kissing in a manner that was definitely _not_ appropriate for public, much less the battlefield. Especially considering where Yang's hands were resting, as that was _not_ the Faunus woman's waist. She coughed loudly, making Blake break off the kiss with a sheepish grin as Yang stuck her tongue out at Ruby for interrupting them. Ruby rolled her eyes a second time before turning her gaze to meet blue, her own expression softening.

Ruby reached up and cupped Weiss' cheek gently, the white-haired woman nuzzling into her hand for a moment with closed eyes. After a moment, Weiss opened her eyes to gaze at Ruby once more, leaning forward and brushing her lips across Ruby's gently. Ruby could feel Weiss' love, her confidence and faith, and it filled her with a strength she hadn't known she had.

"Commander, are you ready?" came the voice from behind, making Ruby turn to see Ozpin standing, cane planted in the ground as he placed both hands on it.

Ruby let out a rueful sigh. "Still weird to hear you call me that, Headmaster."

Ozpin scoffed. "You are the commander of this force, so that is your title. And in this fight, I follow your lead." Ozpin bowed deeply, before stepping up to take his position to the left of team JNPR, flipping his cane up into his hand and holding it at the ready.

Ruby took a deep breath, before tapping her earpiece. "Penny, do you read me?"

"Load and clear, Ruby. The bridge is ready, Raine is at the helm, and the cannon is charged," came the response through her earpiece.

"Any activity?" Ruby asked.

"Scans show the Grimm have begun mobilizing, but they seem scattered and confused. We have confirmed only one Drake so far, but it appears there are Leviathan's in the port waters. There still may be more Drake's in the city. However, the cannon should be able to take a Drake out. But I must give this reminder friend Ruby, the particle cannon needs time between shots to cool."

"Yeah, I know. I got a plan for the Drake anyways. If you're still up to it, Weiss…?" Ruby trailed off, turning to look at Weiss.

Weiss nodded. "I can do it. I'm sure."

Ruby smiled. "Good enough for me, Princess." Ignoring Weiss' glare at the nickname, Ruby turned her attention back to Penny. "Alright. Penny, can you open the comm channel then? I want to address everyone before we begin."

"Affirmative." Penny's voice faded out as Ruby heard the telltale beep in her ear signifying the channel connection, and noticed how everyone turned their attention towards where she was standing. Ruby took one more deep breath.

"Today is the day we've spent years preparing for. The day we've fought for, bled for, and some of us died for. And today, we may see the same. We still have a bigger fight before us, more blood to be spilled, more lives to be lost in what sometimes feels like a never-ending fight against the dark."

Ruby took a moment to look over her team, taking strength in the encouraging glances they gave her. Focusing, she closed her eyes as she concentrated. "But that ends today. The people of Remnant have never before managed to retake what has been taken from us by the darkness, but today, today we come together and we will. We lost Vale, not to the Grimm, not to the White Fang, not even to Cinder…no, we lost Vale to the same fear and loss the Grimm feed on. We lost Vale to our own fears. But not today. Not anymore."

Ruby paused, before pulling Crescent Rose out from behind her and extending her scythe to its full length. Slamming the haft down into the earth underneath her, she continued. "Vale is _ours_!" Remnant is _ours!_ Everything in this world is ours, and no one, _no one_ gets to take them from us! Look at us! Look around you! Humans and Faunus, people from every kingdom, together for one purpose, to bring back what was lost. Cinder thought she had us figured out. She thought she could make us destroy ourselves. But she was wrong. She's not here, but I am. I am because I had people who loved me, who were willing to do what it took to save me, and she was all alone. I'm standing here, with you by my side, and together, we can take back _our city, and our world!_ " Ruby shouted the last words, raising her weapon above her head, a wide grin on her face as every other hunter lifted theirs. As the soldiers raised their weapons and a roar echoed out from the gathered forces, the sound carrying down the cliff and into the city below.

Ruby could see them below, the massive teeming wave of darkness, the white masks and red eyes glaring up at those gathered above them. But she could also see the Grimm take a collective step back, confusion on their faces. She knew, deep inside, there was no fear they could sense, no trepidation, no despair. The Grimm didn't understand it, couldn't understand it, and Ruby took an inordinate amount of joy in that knowledge.

A roar in return came from the direction of the center of the city, and Ruby watched as the massive black wings extended. A huge form flew up into the sky, its figure blotting out the rising sun that had been playing over the assembled forces, but she didn't feel a single iota of fear. Even as a second one launched itself behind the first, as the Grimm below began to shuffle restlessly, Ruby just smiled.

The whining of engines alerted the forces to the liftoff of the Reclamation, and Ruby didn't even bother to move as the gusting winds kicked up, buffeting them as it flew into the air. She heard the cannon's charge, could easily imagine Penny correcting the targeting. Raine's voice came over her earpiece. "Permission to fire, Commander?"

"Permission granted," Ruby replied. Raine had been waiting for the command, and before Ruby had even finished saying 'granted', the cannon fired. A massive pure white beam of energy shot out, rocketing into the first Drake and carving clean through it, blowing a hole in it large enough the Reclamation could have flown through it. Its eyes were open in shock as it began to fall, its body already dissipating into nothingness. The other Drake shrieked in rage, flapping its wings rapidly as it began to race towards the gathered forces. Ruby watched as Griffons and Nevermores lifted off, as more and more Grimm began to spill out of the city towards the cliff walls.

"We'll need another ten minutes before we can fire again, Commander," Raine reminded Ruby.

Ruby smirked, taking a step back from the cliff edge, one mirrored by every hunter save Weiss. "No worries. We got this. Weiss?"

Weiss took a deep breath, nodding. Closing her eyes, she steadied herself, Myrtenaster in hand. A single glyph appeared behind her, rotating slowly, as she held her rapier point down, both hands clasped over its hilt. With a cry, she thrust it down into the ground, the glyph behind her exploding as white erupted in the shape of a glyph from the ground below her.

A massive white figure burst out of the enormous glyph, wings spread wide as it roared out its own challenge to the world. Brilliant blue eyes replacing red, sparkling crystal like scales replacing oozing black. It tucked its wings back in as it settled down on its haunches, peering a curious gaze over at the now panting Weiss. Ruby wrapped one arm around Weiss' waist to help her stand steady, getting an appreciative head pat as Weiss got her breathing back under control.

Weiss looked up at the summoned Drake, reaching up and patting it on one of its massive claws. It made a whuffling noise, before a second roar from the Grimm Drake had it snapping its head towards it. It growled, the sound shaking the earth below it, before turning swirling blue eyes on Weiss, a questioning look in them. Weiss nodded, before quickly leaping up onto its back, Ruby just a step behind her. Yang and Blake followed suit, Blake rolling her eyes as Yang raised her arms above her head and cheered. Weiss scoffed, before turning back to Ruby.

Ruby raised her scythe above her head, activing the channel once more. "Now…for Vale. For Remnant. For the lost, for the living, and for those to come. _For our world!"_ She shot one bullet from Crescent Rose, the summoned Drake roaring in unison, before it lifted off the ground, arrowing itself at the Grimm Drake with a singular intent, four huntresses gripping strongly as they followed it into battle. With one voice, one battle cry, the assembled hunters and the tens of thousands of soldiers followed suit, launching themselves off the cliffs and into the horde below, ready to retake their world.

* * *

**-Five Years Later-**

* * *

Ruby shot upright, gasping as she placed one hand over her heart. Panting into the darkness, she leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling above. Realizing it had just been a nightmare, she let out a deep sigh and relaxed slightly, willing her heart to stop racing. Glancing down at the bed beside her, she smiled softly as she noticed the white haired woman beside her, softly breathing. Blinking rapidly, Ruby looked over at the clock on the nightstand.

' _Six in the morning'_ , she thought to herself. _'Been a while since I had a nightmare, but I guess it's too much to ask for them to stop forever.'_

With a sigh, she knew sleep wasn't coming anytime soon. Besides, the alarm was set for only an hour hence, might as well get up. Carefully slipping out of the bed, trying to avoid waking the peacefully sleeping Weiss, Ruby grabbed up a tank top and slipped it on over her bare upper body. Walking towards the doors set in the exterior wall, she drew the curtains aside and opened the balcony doors quietly, stepping out onto their semicircular balcony. She leaned forward onto the fence circling it, resting her elbows on the cool metal as she gazed down.

She forgot how many stories up they were, but the newly rebuilt Beacon had been a marvel of engineering and design, featuring not one tower, but two, side by side. With the Vale citizenry clamoring for team RWBY to become the Kingdom's leadership, they hadn't given them much choice in where to reside. Not that Ruby minded much, the view up here was absolutely incredible.

She knew even now, other hunters would be waking in the rooms below hers, starting their day, and preparing for what was to come later in the evening. She knew Ren would already be up cooking, with Nora 'helping'. She knew Jaune would be down in the training room with Pyrrha, getting his morning exercises in to keep himself from going stiff. She knew that team CFVY (namely Coco) were busy getting everyone's clothing together…knew that SSSN were probably getting into trouble already. On and on, Ruby knew people were already moving. She would too, soon.

"Couldn't sleep?" came a voice from Ruby's right. Glancing over, Ruby saw Yang yawning, stepping out onto the balcony next to hers as she raised her arms over her head and stretched.

Ruby smiled softly. "Just a nightmare. Wanted some fresh air. You?"

Yang shrugged. "Lot's to do today. Set my alarm a bit earlier. Was hoping to avoid waking Blakey up."

"You didn't do a very good job," came the grumble from the doorway behind Yang. Blake stepped out, arching her back in a way that made Ruby's eyes widen and Yang smirk. Blake saw the gazes and rolled her eyes. "You two ever going to get over how flexible I am?"

"If I ever get over it, just shoot me. It's far too much fun!" Yang said with a giggle. Blake smacked Yang's arm, outrage plastered on her face. It only lasted a moment though, before she broke down into giggles too. She snuggled herself under Yang's arm, wrapping both arms around Yang's waist as Yang's arm went over her shoulder, holding each other close.

"I don't need the sordid details, Yang," Ruby said in a deadpan tone.

Yang stuck her tongue out at Ruby, making Ruby snort. A pair of arms came around Ruby's waist from behind as a form leaned into her. Ruby could feel a face pressing between her shoulder blades, and glanced back to see the white hair of her partner and lover. "Did I wake you?" Ruby asked, concerned.

Weiss shook her head into Ruby's back, before turning it just enough that her closed eyes and sleepy expression were visible. With her voice partly muffled by Ruby's shirt, she replied. "No. I just wanted to see you now, before you get whisked away for the ceremony."

Ruby smiled softly. "Well, marriage is a big deal I guess."

"Or so Coco is making it out to be," Blake deadpanned.

Yang shrugged. "Not every day you do a double wedding for some old ladies."

"Old?" Weiss practically shrieked, her eyes snapping open as she spun her head to glare at Yang. "I am _not_ old! I'm only thirty-seven! I'm…refined!"

Yang snorted before replying in a sing song voice. "You mean _oooolllddd_."

"Ruby, I'm not old, am I?" Weiss asked, her voice becoming pleading as she tried to wheedle her soon to be wife.

Ruby turned around, taking Weiss in her arms and kissing her softly. "What you are is beautiful."

Weiss smiled for a moment, before it clicked. "Hey, you didn't answer my question! Don't think you're getting away with that!"

Ruby snickered, but quickly kissed Weiss again, cutting her off. Weiss tried to protest, but Ruby just kept landing kisses on her lips, keeping them occupied and enjoying how Weiss began to melt in her arms. Finally, with a loud groan, Weiss broke the kiss and slumped against Ruby. "Cheating dolt," she muttered, squeezing Ruby in a hug. Any further comments were cut off by a quiet bark, as Zwei tottered out onto the balcony to join them, flopping down onto Ruby's feet. Ruby smiled down at her pup as he yawned, planting his head on his paws as though he planned on going back to sleep.

Ruby turned back around, taking a moment to appreciate the rising sun. Weiss slipped to her side, taking up a mirrored posture like Blake was with Yang, watching it with her. Yang kissed the top of Blake's head, before speaking softly. "You guys ever think it'd turn out like this?"

Blake shrugged, content not to reply. Weiss kept quiet, closing her eyes as she leaned into Ruby's side. Ruby gazed out over the city, letting her eyes roam across it. "Not like this, no. But you know what?" Ruby paused, looking up at the sky above. As the sun crested the horizon, sending beams of warming light across the city, Ruby felt something inside her slowly loosen. Closing her eyes and breathing in the summer air, she smiled. "It didn't turn out so bad. We got each other…and that's good enough for me."

Weiss kissed Ruby on the cheek, nuzzling into her neck. Yang let out an acknowledging sound, as Blake nodded, closing her eyes. "Yeah. Not too bad for four girls thrown together by chance."

Ruby smiled up at the sky, taking in a deep breath of air that smelled a little like roses. Softly, she spoke. "Maybe it wasn't chance. Maybe this was meant to be. But either way…I'm happy. Happy I have all of you. My family."

Yang sniffled slightly. "I love you, baby sis. And you, Blakey. Even you, Ice Queen."

"Such a sap," Blake teased. "I love you too, sunshine. And my soon to be sisters, Ruby and Weiss."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I love you too, Blake…who else would commiserate with me on these two ruffians?" Blake snickered in response. "And you, you big oaf." Turning to Ruby, Weiss kissed her on the nose. "And of course I love you, you big goof."

Ruby returned the kiss, brushing her lips against Weiss'. "I love all of you, with everything I am, and everything I will ever be. Now come on…I think it's about time we started the day." Reaching down, Ruby took Weiss' hand in her own. She could see out of the corner of her eyes as Blake yanked Yang up into her arms bridal style, the Faunus giggling at the flabbergasted expression on Yang's face as she carried Yang back into their bedroom to prepare for the day. Ruby brushed her thumb over the back of Weiss' hand and smiled down at her, carefully walking beside her back into the bedroom.

As Ruby walked with her soon to be wife back into their room, in their home, in their city, she spotted her cloak hanging on the chair at the desk. It clicked then, in her mind, why she could smell roses on the air earlier. Smiling to herself, she had just one thought. _'This…this is okay. This is good. I'm happy with this. Thanks for looking out for me...Mom.'_ With that single thought, Ruby pulled Weiss into her arms and kissed her deeply, confident in the world she'd helped build, and ready to face it once more. Together...forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez...I don't know how to express how I feel right now. Well, first, I'll explain why I'm ending it here...honestly, I have a bit of OCD, and the idea of doing 41 chapters bothered me deeply. So, I put two timeskips in one chapter. I apologize for that, but I don't think it hurt it that badly. And once again, this chapter was written to my favorite Two Steps From Hell songs, Never Back Down and Two Hearts.
> 
> However, to get to the way I feel about this...I'm sad to put this story down. It has, by far, been my most popular, without a doubt. I've personally not experienced this response from the community before, and its...a bit overwhelming, honestly. A lot of you have read this story as I wrote it, and many of you have expressed being in the situation of one of these girls...depression, schizophrenia, alcholism even, and while it saddens me to know you've been there, I am on the other hand glad this story could strike a chord within you. But honestly, I just have to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart, your support and kindness has been so incredible to me, and I am very thankful to all of you.
> 
> What does the future hold? Well, I have a number of ideas I'd like to move towards in my next stories, but I haven't decided yet. I'll probably take a short break, a week or two, and then put up a poll on my tumblr for what comes next. If you're interested in voting in said poll, and getting updates when I post or plan to post (or seeing lots of reblogged fanart), my tumblr is lupos-corvidae.
> 
> Anyways...thank you all once again for reading and joining me on this journey, and I really hope you all enjoyed it! See you all later!


End file.
